Türk Nöroşirürji Dergisi 2010 , Vol 20 , Num 2
First Trepanation in Living Human in Anatolia: An Aşıklı Höyük Human
Bekir TUĞCU
Bakırköy Ruh ve Sinir Hastalıkları Hastanesi, 2. Beyin Cerrahisi Kliniği, İstanbul, Türkiye Anatolia, in the prehistoric period, has been a settlement for the first human from the Neolithic period as a transition zone. Prehistoric people have left the tips of beliefs, rituals and way of their lifes in this land. Archeology, anthropology, and with the cooperation of the medical science is trying to solve these tips. One of the findings of this unique example that can be accepted as the beginning in the history of neurosurgery is trepanation. Although first trepanation has been performed in a skull which discovered in Israel in Paleolithic period, the oldest trepanned skull was belonging to Neolithic human. However, many trepanations have been performed after dead. The earliest trepanation in living human was discovered in Aşıklı Höyük. We overviewed the historical features of trepanation which procedure acceptable as starting of Neurosurgery history on behalf of this finding. Anahtar Kelimeler : Trepanation, History of neurosurgery, Aşıklı Höyük, Anatolia