Danielle Kurin, PhD, is a former University of California, Santa Barbara, professor who researches ancient civilizations of the central Andes through archeological excavations and the forensic examination of bones and skulls. Speaking with LiveScience in early 2022, Danielle Kurin opined on research into a cone-shaped, elongated skull that appears to have a metal implant in it.
The skull was given to Oklahoma City’s Museum of Osteology by an anonymous donor. If authentic, the find would be the earliest evidence of surgical implants among ancient Peruvians. The cone shape of the head is not unusual, as some ancient people of the Andes had a custom of squeezing the child’s developing head with bands to achieve a unique shape. In addition to the thinly hammered metal implant, the skull features a hole under the metal that may indicate trepanation, or an attempt to treat a cranial condition through primitive surgery. Dr. Kurin, reacting to a photo, described the implant as unlike anything she had seen. The older individual has fracture patterns in the skull that seem to indicate massive blunt-force trauma. With signs of healing apparent along concentric fracture lines, she believes that the man survived for some time after the injury, and the implant and hole may be related to efforts to treat him. She withheld further judgement on the authenticity of the find, noting that metallurgical technology varied widely across the Andes in that era, and that tests would be needed to place it in a specific locale. In addition, X-rays on the skull were needed to determine whether the purpose of the metal was to cover an open cranial fracture or a trepanation hole.
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AuthorDanielle Kurin - Award-Winning Educator and Researcher. Archives
June 2023
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