(CNN) When archaeologists uncovered the burial site of two brothers who lived in Israel in the 15th century BC, they were surprised to discover that one of them had undergone brain surgery shortly before his death.
The find marks the first example of trephination, a type of cranial surgery found in the ancient Near East.
Trephination, also known as trepanation, involves drilling a hole in the skull and has examples of medical procedures dating back thousands of years.
The remains of the brothers, who lived in the Bronze Age from 1550 BC to 1450 BC, were discovered during excavations in the tombs of the ancient city of Tel Megiddo.
A brother, estimated to be between 20 and 40 years of age, had horn-notched trephination. His scalp was cut and using a sharp beveled instrument he created four intersecting lines and drilled a 30 mm (1.2 in) square hole in the frontal bone of the skull.
A study detailing the findings published Wednesday in the journal pro swan.
“There is evidence that torrefination has been this ubiquitous and widespread type of surgery for thousands of years,” study author Rachel Kalisher said in a statement. He is a PhD candidate at the Joukowsky Institute for Archaeology and the Ancient World at Brown University in Providence, TN.
“But it’s not as common in the Near East. There are only about a dozen cases of torrefination in the entire region. My hope is that more cases will be added to the academic record so that our It is to deepen our understanding of the field of medicine and health care: cultural dynamics in the ancient cities of this region.”
Fragments of the skull removed during surgery were included in the brother’s grave.
Oddly enough, bone fragments removed from the skull were included in the tomb, but that wasn’t the only unusual finding made about the brothers when researchers examined their bones.
Bronze Age Brothers
The city of Tel Megiddo was part of Calle Maris 4,000 years ago. This important land route connected Egypt, Syria, Mesopotamia and Anatolia, says study co-author Israel Finkelstein, dean of the Department of Archeology and Oceanography at the University of Haifa.
Tel Megiddo dominates part of this trade route, making it a wealthy and cosmopolitan city filled with palaces, temples and fortresses.
“It’s hard to overstate the cultural and economic importance of Megiddo during the Late Bronze Age,” Finkelstein said.
The tombs were found in an area adjacent to the Late Bronze Age palace of Tel Megiddo, and researchers believe the two men were members of the high-ranking elite of society or perhaps even royalty. A DNA test revealed that the two were related and likely brothers.
of male They were buried with Cyprus pottery, food, and other valuable possessions similar to those found in local high-ranking tombs.
And in life, both brothers were seriously ill. Their skeleton is characterized by signs of disease, including widespread lesions suggestive of a chronic debilitating condition. However, both managed to survive for many years despite their illness.
“These brethren were obviously living in rather grave morbid conditions that, at the time, they would not have been able to endure without their wealth and status.” If you are elite, you may be able to have a special diet.If you are elite, you may be able to survive a serious illness longer.You have access to care.”
My brother died in his teens or early twenties, possibly from an epidemic such as tuberculosis or leprosy.
Researchers say his older brother had an extra molar, so he may have experienced a genetic condition like clavicular dysplasia, which affects teeth and bones.
Researchers can’t find out why his brother needed trephination. Ancient Mesopotamian texts also suggest that the operation may have “cured supernatural or otherworldly conditions.”
“The skeletal evidence suggests that this individual likely endured the disease for a long time and progressed, given that it was left untreated,” Kalisher said. “This elite individual had been privileged to withstand infection for a long time and had also undergone high-level cranial surgery. This suggests that trefination was performed in direct response to a declining state. You can guess.”
Regardless of why he had the surgery, he died days or hours later, based on the lack of bone healing noted by the researchers during the analysis.
Deciphering Ancient Medical Cases
Many questions remain after studying the bones of the two brothers, Kalisher said.
Skeletal evidence suggests the brother had leprosy, but more research is needed to make a definite decision.If analysis reveals bacterial DNA consistent with leprosy , the brother may have experienced one of the earliest documented cases of the disease.
“Leprosy can spread in families, not only because of proximity, but also because susceptibility to the disease is influenced by genetic status,” Kalisher said.
Kalisher is also baffled as to why a skull fragment removed from his brother was included in his burial.
“Our study looks at whether resected bone fragments were reinserted into the head.” Bones may also have other non-medical purposes and may be included in individuals, which we have no idea about…so for now, this mystery remains unsolved.”
There is a bigger question that ancient Trephination researchers hope to answer. For example, why did you use an analog drill to make circular holes and why did you make square or triangular holes?
As for the brothers, however, it is clear that the two men were not expelled for health problems or considered “other”. The researchers said they confirmed they were enshrined according to tradition.
