Palla Ákos szerk.: Az Országos Orvostörténeti Könyvtár közleményei 36. (Budapest, 1965)

N. P. Makletsova, V. V. Guinzburg, D. G. Rokhlin (Leningrád): Trepanation in Fossil Skulls found in the USSR Territory

traces of healing in the former case, while the latter were completely or partly healed. (Necrasov, Floru, Nicolaesco—Plopsor). As it is well known, in the neolithic period trepanation was usually performed in the lateral part of the cranium, most frequently in the parietal bone, sometimes extending to the temporal bone and the posterior portion of the frontal bone. It is of interest, that when it was a case of surgery performed in a living patient, preference was given to hair-covered portions of the skull (Bartucz and others). There are but a few paleopathology descriptions of cases of trepanation found in the USSR territory (D. N. Anuchin, P. Boyev and O. Ismagulov, L. A. Oganesyan, P. M. Pirpilashvily, V. J. Dermus). However, the number of the finds is considerably greater. In the present paper some data is offered on 21 trepanated skulls stored in the Museum of Anthropology of the Ethnography Institute of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR in Leningrad. By means of anatomical and radiological examination of the trepanated skulls, it has been proved that in 11 cases trepanation was performed in living human beings. Trepanation holes found in the 10 remaining skulls were evidently cut either after death or not long before death occurred. All trepanation apertures, made during the lifetime of the subjected individuals and bearing traces of partial or complete healing, were single. They have been observed in the skulls of grown-up individuals (aged from 30 to 50). Of the 11 cases with partial or complete healing, in which trepanation was made in their lifetime, in 4 instances the hole is situated in the lefthand portion of the frontal bone, in other 4 — in the lefthand portion of the parietal bone, in 2 instances it is in the occipital bone, and in 1 case in the lefthand portion of the temporal bone. Six of the above mentioned skulls were male, two — female, in three instances the sex of the owner has not been proved (since only the cranial vault remained intact). In 8 trepanated skulls complete healing of the defect has been observed, which proves that the object of trepanation had been alive for no less than 2—3 years after the operation. X-ray examination showed a perforated defect peripherically boredered by a well-pronounced protective plate. It occurs when a fine cortical