Members of the BioMuse research group conducted a study that was published on the esteemed International Journal of Paleopathology. The paper presents seven new trepanations on four skulls (5th – 1st cent. BCE) from the ancient city of Akanthos and juxtaposes the paleopathological observations with the Hippocratic treatises. In addition, the meta-analysis of trepanations that have been published so far in Greece examines the geographical and temporal distribution, the causes, the techniques, the demographic characteristics as well as the survival rate.
The study showed that in two of the four cases of Akanthos, which exhibited significant signs of healing, trepanation was practiced for treating cranial injuries. In the other two cases, individuals survived shortly after the operation. Three trepanations were performed with a trephine, while one was conducted with the method of scraping. The trepanations of Akanthos, featuring similarities and discrepancies from the Hippocratic recommendations, indicate the mental and technical readiness of the ancient surgeon.
Trepanation was performed systematically in Greece already since 2,000 BCE. It was conducted predominantly in males, principally as a surgical treatment of cranial injuries. The estimated survival rate was 63%, while scraping was the most frequent and successful technique. The Hippocratic texts, which are the first written evidence of the operation, reflect the long medical tradition and encode the pre-existing knowledge.
