A Copper Age skull from southeastern Spain reveals a woman aged roughly 35 to 45 who endured two skull surgeries. The remains show clear signs of healing, suggesting she survived both trepanations and lived for about two months after the second procedure. The findings are documented in a study published by the International Journal of Palaeopathology.
The two openings measure 53 x 31 millimeters and 31 x 12 millimeters respectively. Experts interpret these as trepanations, a surgical practice in which openings are made in the skull to access the dura mater. The edges are well-defined and show no cracks radiating from the holes, indicating that the injuries were not the result of acute trauma. The holes were likely created with a stone tool and are believed to have been made with precision rather than by accident.
Historical context suggests that the individual may have undergone the procedures while under restraint or under the influence of psychoactive substances aimed at dulling pain or inducing unconsciousness. The exact purpose behind this double operation remains uncertain to researchers, but the surviving healing tissue confirms that both operations occurred at separate times during her life. The evidence points to a careful, albeit risky, medical intervention by the community at that time.
In related archaeological discoveries across the European Bronze and Copper Ages, other sites have yielded similarly remarkable preserved remains that illuminate early surgical practices and medical care. This particular find adds to a growing picture of early medical knowledge and the social dimensions of health during prehistoric periods. Markers from other regions, including ancient Italian tombs and Etruscan contexts, help frame the broader spectrum of medical ritual and craftsmanship in the ancient world. The juxtaposition of surgical skill and ritualized care across these sites underscores the complexity of early medical traditions, suggesting communities valued patient survival and understood some aspects of neuroscience and anatomy well before written records.