A team of archaeologists from the University of Aix-Marseille in France analyzed the skull of a medieval woman who lived in Italy during the 6th and 7th centuries and found evidence of trepanation. results published in the International Journal of Osteoarchaeology.
The authors state that he has had at least two brain surgeries. This is one of the few archaeological evidence that trepanation was practiced on women in the early Middle Ages.
The studied skull was discovered at the end of the 19th century at the Castel Trosino cemetery in central Italy. It belonged to a woman in her 50s. Along with the male remains, a bronze brooch was found in a double tomb, along with a comb and gold threads, suggesting that the couple belonged to the local elite.
“We found that the woman survived several surgeries. The first operation was successful. The second was probably performed shortly before the woman’s death,” he said.
The scientists did a CT scan based on their results that the woman showed signs of hyperostosis (excessive bone growth). This condition is common in menopausal women and often accompanies other health problems such as seizures, headaches, obesity and diabetes. Perhaps trepanation was done for medicinal purposes, but it may also have ritual significance.