The Oklahoma-based Museum of Osteology’s skull undoubtedly generated a lot of buzz among archaeologists. One of the world’s earliest examples of cutting-edge surgery is supposed to be the 2,000-year-old skull of a Peruvian warrior.
The warrior suffered this head injuries during combat, according to experts. Peruvian doctors put a piece of metal in the warrior’s brain after he returned from battle to aid in the healing of the wound. Thankfully, the fighter made it through both this operation and his injury.
When we consider the fact that there was no genuine anaesthetic at the time, it is astounding that the warrior survived the procedure at all. The Museum of Osteology highlights in a Facebook post how closely the shattered bone around the restoration is fused together, a sign of a successful procedure.
In another Facebook post, the Museum writes that “although we can’t guarantee anesthesia was used, we do know that many natural remedies existed for surgical procedures during this time.”
Additionally, the Museum emphasizes that the substance was not poured into the warrior’s skull as molten metal. We don’t know the metal, a Museum representative informed the Daily Star. For this kind of operation, silver or gold was traditionally employed.
In ancient Peru, head injuries were fairly frequent. During conflicts, projectiles like slingshots were employed, which resulted in severe head injuries. These wounds must have been treated in some way by Peruvian medical professionals. John Verano, a physical anthropologist at Tulane University, claims that the success rate of these operations was actually quite high, at roughly 70%.
At the Oklahoma Museum of Osteology, the skull is currently on public display.
