Inca brain surgery of the form of

According to a new study, ancient Peruvian Inca surgeons often succeeded in removing a small portion of the patient's skull to treat head injuries.

This surgical process - known under the word brain drill - is usually conducted on adult men, likely to treat bronchial wounds. A similar type of surgery is also done today to release pressure due to fluid accumulation after severe head injuries.

According to the report, around the ancient Inca capital Cuzco, the ruins dating back to 1000 AD show that surgical techniques are standardized and perfected over time. Many of the oldest skulls showed no evidence of bone healing after surgery, perhaps a fatal operation. But until the 1400s, the survival rate reached 90%, which is a very low level of infection.

According to the lead author of the work Valerie Andrushko, of the University of Southern Connecticut in New Haven, the new findings show that Inca surgeons have built up detailed knowledge of skull anatomy. 'These people are highly skilled surgical specialists.'

The patient is relieved of pain and antiseptic by beer and herbs

Andrushko noted that Inca physicians avoided areas of the skull where cuts would cause brain damage, bleeding or infection.The surgery was performed without modern anesthetic or antibiotics, but perhaps they used herbs.

'They know the medicinal properties of many wild plants, like coca and wild tobacco. These and corn beer may have been used to relieve some pain. Natural biocides such as turpentine and saponin (a plant with soap-like properties) may reduce the risk of infection during the skull drill. '

The new work is published online in The American Journal of Physical Anthropology.

An ancient Inca skull showed evidence of skull surgery known as skull drill.A new work that discovered this type of surgery was quite popular among the Incas, capable of healing wounds in combat.(Photo: Valerie Andrushko)

"The skull is broken"

Andrushko and co-author of the John Verano project, Tulane University, New Orleans, studied the ruins from 11 cemeteries in Cuzco and the surrounding area.

Their research discovered drilling skulls is a very popular form in the Inca capital. Of the 411 well-preserved skulls for the study, 66 had bore holes in the bone. At one location, 21 out of 59 skulls - over 1/3 - undergo drilling.

While drilling methods differ from time to time, Inca surgeons are finally stable with a curettage to pierce the skull without causing more wounds.

'The skull is slowly scraping away, leaving a round hole around which is a wider area of ​​the bone being scraped.'

Some of these skulls were drilled more than once, with one person having surgery 7 times. In another unusual case where the patient did not survive the surgery, the removed rectangular bone area was reinstalled before being buried.

Tiffany Tung is an archaeologist at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee and did not participate in the study. She said this is the first work to compare the frequency and success rate of skull drilling over time and in different communities.

'This is a kind of detailed work that really explains how we live the ancient Andean community. Surprisingly, a large number of people have undergone cranial surgery and many have survived so much. '

Wounds of war

The earliest skull drills were around 400 BC in South America and elsewhere in the world. Archaeologists have long argued whether skull perforation is a medical measure or a cultural and religious reason.

Concerning the Incas, Tung said that the new work provided the answer to the debate.'I think the authors were very accurate when they thought that skull surgery was done first to treat the head wounds .'

These wounds often occur during the war.

Andrushko adds that almost all surgeries are performed near the center of the skull or to the left - areas that are likely to be attacked when fighting right-handed opponents. In addition, some skulls show signs of previous wounds in the surgical area.

However, the case of 19 female surgery patients showed that this type of surgery is sometimes done for other reasons - perhaps an attempt to cure seizures or chronic bone infections.