Trepanning
surgical intervention; drilling a hole in the skull
Trepanning, also known as trepanation, trephination, trephining or making a burr hole (the verb trepan derives from Old French from Medieval Latin trepanum from Greek trúpanon, literally "borer, auger"), is a surgical intervention in which a hole is drilled or scraped into the human skull. This procedure is one of the oldest known surgical procedures, mainly performed by priests or "medicine men." Those who performed trepanation used materials such as stone, obsidian, bronze, or bone shaped into hand-held tools. The intentional perforation of the cranium exposes the dura mater to treat health problems related to intracranial diseases or release pressured blood buildup from an injury. It may also refer to any "burr" hole created through other body surfaces, including nail beds. The process to identify trepanation is through identification of a hole in the skull. The shape of the hole, cutting edges, and the healing process that is from the procedure also helps archeologists identify a trephined skull. A trephine is an instrument used for cutting out a round piece of skull bone to relieve pressure beneath a surface.
Trepanning was sometimes performed on people who were behaving in a manner that was considered abnormal. In some ancient societies it was believed this released the evil spirits that were to blame. Evidence of trepanation has been found in prehistoric human remains from Neolithic times onward.
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