Prehistoric trepanation in the Iberian Peninsula: A new case from the province of Badajoz (Extremadura, Spain)

Authors

  • Tiago Pedro Ferreira Tomé Programa de Pós-Graduação em Antropologia - Universidade Federal do Pará Centro de Investigação em Antropologia e Saúde, Departamento de Ciências da Vida - Universidade de Coimbra Grupo de Quaternário e Pré-História, Centro de Geociências/Instituto Terra e Memória, Universidade de Coimbra/Instituto Politécnico de Tomar

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14195/2182-7982_32_4

Keywords:

Biological Anthropology, Prehistory

Abstract

Trepanation is a recurrent subject in the literature, with the earliest known examples of this surgical procedure belonging to the Mesolithic/Neolithic periods. The Iberian Peninsula is no exception to this tendency, where most of the known trepanation cases were found in coastal areas.

We present one skull with a lesion/trauma compatible with a trepanation on the right parietal bone, recovered from a cave located in southern Badajoz province, inland Spain, Cueva de los Postes. This is the first reported case of a prehistoric trepanation in this region. A brief comparative analysis with other known Iberian prehistoric trepanations is included, regarding location of the lesions and method of trepanation selected to the procedure.

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Published

2017-01-19

Issue

No. 32-33 (2015): Antropologia Portuguesa

Section

Artigos

License

Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License that allows sharing the work with recognition of authorship and initial publication in Antropologia Portuguesa journal.

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