gms | German Medical Science

Objective: We present an outstanding example of successful prehistorical double trephination in Central Germany using the scramble technique dating between 2700 and 2200 B.C, most likely in the Corded Ware at the end of Neolithic Age.

Methods: Paul Berger, a local pharmacist and amateur archeologist, discovered 1910 in a commune gravesite in Pritschöna, few miles near to Halle (Saxony-Anhalt, Germany) a skeleton in lateral position, with bended knees and a silex blade. Previous archaeological studies could date the found at the Corded Ware Age between 2700 and 2200 B.C. The skull revealed two trephinations, performed presumably at different times. We performed a spiral CT-scan and consequence morphometric and structural analysis of the double trephined skull.

Results: Our morphometric analysis showed that the subject was a young female, with an exceptional well saved dentition. The frontal trephination is over the sinus sagittal superior, the parietal one over the cortex of the temporo-parieto-occipital carrefour. Our researches showed that the neolithic woman was operated by scrape with clear surviving signs, such osteoblastic activity. The frontal trephination of this case was located over the sagittal sinus, therefore the requested skillfulness in preservation of the dura was more higher than other cases. The survival of the patient suggests indeed that there was not damage of the underlying venous sinus. In this case the indication of the trephination remains obscure.

Conclusions: The central European region was in Neolithic Age outstandingly specialized in this trephinations with rudimental anesthetic, antiseptic and technologic assists, with a rate of survival of 90.5%, much higher compared to other geographical region. In fact, even after double craniectomy in Neolithic age, as documented in this case, there was a survival possibility. The indication for the procedures remains unclear.