Human Skulls Unearthed in Turkey Reveal Traces of ‘Brain Surgery’ 3,200 Years Ago

Date: 28 November 2023 - 21:41

News ID: ۱۲۱۹۸۲

ANKARA (Xinhua) – Human skulls unearthed in eastern Turkey, which are estimated to date back 3,200 years ago, showed evidence of surgery, the semi-official Anadolu Agency reported on Tuesday.
Out of the around 400 human skeletons found in the tombs in the necropolis area of Van province’s Catak district, 30 showed evidence of brain surgery, the agency reported.
The anthropological findings displayed various skull surgery methods, including grooving, cutting, drilling, and scraping, the agency quoted Hakan Yilmaz, associate professor from Van Yuzuncu Yil University’s Archaeology Department, as saying.
The necropolis is “unique” in Turkey for the prevalence of skull surgeries, indicating proper attention to patients, with procedures commonly performed on the right, left, and back of the skull, the expert said.
“The bones extracted from the tombs will undergo detailed laboratory examination,” Yilmaz added.
The excavations were carried out under the leadership of the Van Museum Directorate and with the scientific guidance of Gulan Ayaz from Van Yuzuncu Yil University’s Archaeology Department, the agency reported.