Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Report of a successful human trepanation from the Dark Ages of neurosurgery in Europe

  • Letter to the editor - History of Neurosurgery
  • Published:
Acta Neurochirurgica Aims and scope Submit manuscript

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

References

  1. Andrushko V, Verano J (2008) Prehistoric trepanation in the Cuzco region of Peru: A view into an ancient Andean practice. Am J Phys Anthropol 137

  2. Mogliazza S (2009) An example of cranial trepanation dating to the Middle Bronze Age from Ebla, Syria. J Anthropol Sci = Rivista di antropologia: JASS/Istituto italiano di antropologia 87: 187–192

  3. Han K, Chen X (2007) The archaeological evidence of trepanation in early China. Indo-Pac Prehist Assoc Bull 27:22–27

    Google Scholar 

  4. Jennbert K (1991) Trepanation from the Stone Age to the medieval period from a Scandinavian perspective. Acta Archeol Lundensia 20:357–379

    Google Scholar 

  5. Broca P (1876) Sur les trépanations préhistoriques. Bull Soc Anthropol Paris 2:236–431

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Lisowki F (1967) Prehistoric and Early Historic Trepanation. In: Brothwell D (ed) Diseases in Antiquity: A Survey of the Diseases, Injuries, and Surgery of Early Populations. Charles C Thomas Pub Ltd, Springfield, Ill, pp 651–672

  7. Boës E (2005) Les techniques de trépanation en Alsace au cours du Néolithique. In: Schnitzler B, Minor J-ML, Ludes B, Boës E (eds) Histoire(s) de squelettes. Editions des Musées de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, pp 222–225

  8. Hibon L (1997) Trépanations chirurgicales et prélèvements crâniens post-mortem dans les Grands Causses préhistoriques. Université Bordeaux I, Bordeaux

  9. López B, Caro L, Pardiñas A (2011) Evidence of trepanations in a medieval population (13th–14th century) of northern Spain (Gormaz, Soria). Anthropol Sci 119:247–257

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Stewart TD (1956) Significance of osteitis in ancient Peruvian trephining. Bull Hist Med 30:293–320

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Jordanov J, Dimitrova B, Nikolov S (1988) Symbolic trepanations of skulls from the Middle Ages (IXth-Xth century) in Bulgaria. Acta Neurochir 92:15–18

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Germana F, Fornaciari G (1986) Actes du 3ième Colloque des conservateurs des musées d’histoire des sciences médicales. Fondation Marcel Mérieux for the European Association of Museums of History of Medical Sciences

  13. Manouvrier M (1904) Incisions, cautérisations et trépanations crâniennes de l’époque Néolithique. Bulletins et Mémoires de la Société d’Anthropologie de Paris:67–73

  14. Margetts E (1967) Trepanation of the skull by the medecine-men of primitive cultures, with particular reference to present-day Native East African Practice. In: Brothwell D (ed) Diseases in antiquity: a survey of the diseases, injuries, and surgery of early populations. Charles C Thomas Pub Ltd, Springfield, Ill, pp 673–701

Download references

Conflicts of interest

None.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosurgery, Sainte-Anne Hospital, Paris, France

    Marc Zanello & Johan Pallud

  2. University Paris Descartes, PRES Sorbonne Paris Cité, Paris, France

    Marc Zanello & Johan Pallud

  3. Art history and Archaeology, Panthéon-Sorbonne University, Paris, France

    Morgane Decofour

  4. Department of Neurosurgery, Leeds General Infirmary, Leeds, UK

    Robert Corns

  5. Section of Medical and Forensic Anthropology, UFR of Health Sciences (UVSQ/AP-HP), Montigny-Le-Bretonneux, France

    Philippe Charlier

Authors
  1. Marc Zanello
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Morgane Decofour
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Robert Corns
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Johan Pallud
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Philippe Charlier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Marc Zanello.

Additional information

Johan Pallud and Philippe Charlier contributed equally.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Zanello, M., Decofour, M., Corns, R. et al. Report of a successful human trepanation from the Dark Ages of neurosurgery in Europe. Acta Neurochir 157, 303–304 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-014-2239-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00701-014-2239-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation