- ATHENS (AFP) -- Greek archaeologists
have discovered on the Mediterranean island of Chios the skull of a man
from the 2nd century BC who had undergone a successful skull operation,
Greece's culture ministry announced today.
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- The skull of the man, who died in his 50s, featured an
artificial 1.62cm wide hole, the ministry said in a statement. Examination
showed the man had lived for a long time after the operation.
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- "It is an important find in the history of medicine,"
the ministry said.
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- The discovery is a rare case of trepanation - the deliberate
drilling of a hole into a patient's skull.
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- Archaeologists have discovered trepanned skulls as old
as 5,000 years. The practice was discussed in ancient Greek medical texts.
It is not yet clear what was the medical object of trepanation.
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- Copyright 2003 News Limited.
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- http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,7161935%255E1702,00.html
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