[Trephined skulls in Hungary].

Abstract

Trephination of the cranial vault is the oldest known surgical procedure and has often been reported in literature. Residuals of ancient trephinations have been found all over Europe. In present study both the recorded and unpublished trephined cases found in Hungary are reviewed. Four Neolithic, two Copper Age, eight Bronze Age, seven Covering Age (4th-6th century AD), twelve Awar Age (7th-9th century AD) seventy one Conquest Age (10th century AD) and eleven Arpadian Age (11th-13th century) cases are found. On the base of archeological, historical and paleopathologic aspects trephination is mainly (67%) connected with the Hungarians of the 10th century. The finds in our study are from whole territories of country (North-East Hungary, the zone of Great Plain, Northern Highlands, Danube-Tisza Mid-Region, the broader geographical vicinity of Budapest, Transdanubia and Transylvania). The surgical trepanation was practiced on both males (75.6%), females (15.7%), from the second period of infancy (2.6%) until the beginning senility, and persons. with undetermined age and gender. Considering the presumed time of the trephination and the time of death, trephinations were employed for every age, while the majority of investigations were performed on persons between 21 and 50 years of age. The majority of trephinations (84.4%) were performed in the parietal and/or frontoparietal regions. The long time surviving rate is 63% among the pre-Hungarians, while 84% among the 10th century Hungarian cases. The records of trephined cases excavated in Hungary are published in Hungarian, mostly in the annals of museums, but no cases were published in international periodicals. Consequently, the giant great trephined material (115 cases) of Hungary is unknown in the international scientific literature, although, in their detailed study Piek et al. (1999) counted altogether 450 trephined skulls found in Europe.