Ancient operated skull found
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.
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.
"It is an important find in the history of medicine," the ministry said.
The discovery is a rare case of trepanation - the deliberate drilling of a hole into a patient's skull.
