An unprecedented case of cranial surgery in Longobard Italy (6th–8th century) using a cruciform incision

The Longobard necropolis of Castel Trosino dates from the 6th to the 8th century CE. Among the tombs excavated, the skull of an older female shows the first evidence of a cross‐shaped bone modification on a living subject. Macroscopic, microscopic, and CT scan analyses revealed signs of at least two...

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Published inInternational journal of osteoarchaeology Vol. 33; no. 2; pp. 187 - 195
Main Authors Micarelli, Ileana, Strani, Flavia, Bedecarrats, Samuel, Bernardini, Sara, Paine, Robert R., Bliquez, Lawrence, Giostra, Caterina, Gazzaniga, Valentina, Tafuri, Mary Anne, Manzi, Giorgio
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Chichester Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.03.2023
Wiley
Subjects
Archaeology
bioarchaeology
Biological anthropology
Brain surgery
CT scan
Forensic osteology
Forensic pathology
Humanities and Social Sciences
paleopathology
SEM analysis
skull defect
bioarchaeology CT scan paleopathology SEM analysis skull defect
SEM analysis
skull defect
paleopathology
CT scan
bioarchaeology
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Summary:The Longobard necropolis of Castel Trosino dates from the 6th to the 8th century CE. Among the tombs excavated, the skull of an older female shows the first evidence of a cross‐shaped bone modification on a living subject. Macroscopic, microscopic, and CT scan analyses revealed signs of at least two sets of scraping marks. Specifically, SEM analysis shows that perimortem bone‐scraping traces are present on the skull. Both healed and non‐healed defects suggest that the woman has received at least twice intentional bone modifications to address her condition. This is the first evidence of a cross‐shaped therapeutic intervention on a living subject.
Bibliography:Ileana Micarelli, Flavia Strani, and Samuel Bedecarrats contributed equally.
ObjectType-Article-1
SourceType-Scholarly Journals-1
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ISSN:1047-482X
1099-1212
DOI:10.1002/oa.3202