A 5,300-year-old skull from Spain has revealed what might be the worlds oldest example of ear surgery. Excavations in Reinoso, northern Spain, unearthed the skull as part of a mass grave of more than a hundred individuals who suffered from a variety of pathologies. The skull had been perforated multiple times, presumably to relieve the pain and pressure of an ear infection, andgiven that the woman lived after the surgical interventionsis, thus, the earliest example of a successful ear surgery.
The skull was found in an ossuary as part of the excavation of a fourth millennium B.C. megalithic monument conducted by the University of Valladolid. The team published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports. The womans skull showed evidence of surgical intervention via trepanation in both of her ears. The procedure was first performed on her right ear before a subsequent procedure on her left was undertaken. Seven cut marks at the edge of the surgical site in the left ear confirm that the holes in her skull were the result of surgical intervention (a mastoidectomy) rather than accidental trauma or deliberate injury. That the bones in her right ear had healed is a sign that she survived the procedure.
Manuel Rojo Guerra, one of the lead researchers on the project, said that it must have been carried out by specialists or individuals with certain anatomical knowledge and accumulated therapeutic experiences. Having eliminated other potential diagnoses, including tumors, the scientific team that studied the skull concluded that she likely suffered from a painful middle ear infection that caused excruciating pain and fevers. Without treatment, fluid buildup behind the eardrum can lead to hearing loss and even a life-threatening inflammation.
The surgery was not for the faint-hearted. The woman, who scientists estimate was 35 to 50 years old, would have had to have been restrained and held in place during the procedure. Its possible, though not provable, that some kind of plant-based sedation was administered in advance. The surgery itself would have been extremely painful and (given the age of the site in which the skull was discovered) would have been performed using a stone implement that was almost certainly made of flint.
Though surgical procedures to relieve pressure and fluid buildup are now common and relatively risk free, they only became widespread in the late 19th century. Prior to that the first documented description of the procedure comes from famous French 16th century physician Ambroise Par. He apparently recommended the treatment to the French king Franois II in 1560, but Franoiss mother Catherine de Medici forbade it. Franois eventually died of an ear infection but that was hardly Pars fault. As a result, the credit for the first successful mastoidectomy went to the French surgeon Jean-Louis Petit. By the 20th century, and even before the advent of widespread antibiotic use, the procedure was common. San Francisco surgeon Francis Sooy reported that until 1940 he regularly saw patients in the morning, before popping across the street to his surgery to drain some ear abscesses in the afternoon.
There are good reasons to think that ear surgery started much earlier. Images of barber surgeons casually operating on the ear date to the early 16th century, but the real pioneer was the Greek-speaking second-century physician Galen of Pergamum. Galen, who recognized the general benefit of draining abscesses, may hint at this procedure in his writings, but there is considerable debate about whether or not he ever performed the surgery himself.
Even without surgery there were numerous ingestible ancient remedies for ear trouble. Galen prescribed honey for ear pain. As seasonal allergies can cause ear discomfort and some claim this can be alleviated by ingesting local honey, its possible (though unlikely) that some patients may actually have benefitted from this treatment. A less appetizing treatment for ear pain, also attributed to Galen, was to boil dung beetles in olive oil and drip the resulting concoction into the affected ear. This treatment is noteworthy given that beetles are known to sometimes invade the earand the rectum, but thats a whole other storywith undesirable results. Close your screen doors at night, people.
Like so much ancient medicine, many of remedies would have been devised and administered in the home by women. As Laura Zucconi notes in her History of Ancient Medicine, the most noted female healer in the Talmud, the stepmother of Rabbi Abaye, reportedly had effective cures for heart problems, fevers, scorpion bites, and ear infections. Whether any of these treatments were effective is a whole other story, while eye surgery (especially cataract surgery) is well documented in antiquity, ear infections are near impossible to treat without antibiotics.
In the case of the 5300-year-old woman survived at least her first procedure, proving that there were some sophisticated and technically adept medical practitioners in fourth millennium B.C. Spain. Whether she consented to treatment is a whole other question to which we will never know the answer. She does seem to have fared at least as well as her burial companions, whose myriad injuries and pathologies have yet to be fully studied.
See the original post:
This Woman Survived Ear Surgery Using Stone Instruments | The Paradise News - The Paradise News
- Honoring EFRAT: An organization that provides support to parents - The Jerusalem Post - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- For the Yehudim There Was Light - COLlive - February 18th, 2024 [February 18th, 2024]
- Book Review: Subculture Vulture, by Moshe Kasher - The New York Times - January 29th, 2024 [January 29th, 2024]
- Palestine, the Jews, the Talmud and the Aleppo Codex | Jaime Kardontchik | The Blogs - The Times of Israel - January 29th, 2024 [January 29th, 2024]
- Israel-Hamas War: Yearning for children lost before their time - The Jerusalem Post - January 29th, 2024 [January 29th, 2024]
- Roots, Midrash and Tu B'Shvat | Gershon Hepner | The Blogs - The Times of Israel - January 29th, 2024 [January 29th, 2024]
- Emotional moments as awards are given out to the talmidim of Talmud Torah Kollel Shomrei Hachomos Rockland Daily - Rockland Daily - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- The People's Talmud Presents: RANDOM Brain Teasers - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- Why the Jewish Word for Heretic Is Based on Epicurus - Greek Reporter - January 23rd, 2024 [January 23rd, 2024]
- War, Talmud, and agriculture - opinion - The Jerusalem Post - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Claims on 'Canaan' by Africans and Arabs in the Talmud - The Times of Israel - December 28th, 2023 [December 28th, 2023]
- Berakhot (tractate) - Wikipedia - January 4th, 2023 [January 4th, 2023]
- Talmud and Midrash | Definition, Books, Examples, & Facts - January 4th, 2023 [January 4th, 2023]
- The William Davidson Talmud The William Davidson Talmud - December 26th, 2022 [December 26th, 2022]
- Switching My Kids to This Jewish Day School from Public School Was a Godsend and Came Just in Time - Kveller.com - December 23rd, 2022 [December 23rd, 2022]
- Humans of Heller High: What nine teens learned on an immersive program in Israel - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - December 16th, 2022 [December 16th, 2022]
- Jesus in the Talmud - Wikipedia - November 23rd, 2022 [November 23rd, 2022]
- The Oral Law -Talmud & Mishna - Jewish Virtual Library - October 23rd, 2022 [October 23rd, 2022]
- Creating Humanity and Midrash in the Divine Image - Jewish Exponent - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Help Jewish Federation do good that goes everywhere - Jewish Community Voice - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- On the Turkish-Syrian border, a citys last Jews watch the ending of an epoch - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Cate Blanchett gives what might be her best performance ever in TR - Cult MTL - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Revisiting The Campus Archives - New Voices - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Opinion | Wood column: Reliever Larry Sherry went from obscurity to fame in a moment - The Daily Advance - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- The Moon Provides an All-Star Example of Sincere Repentance - Torah.org - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Was the fruit of the Tree of Life from which Adam and Eve ate really an apple? J-Wire - J-Wire Jewish Australian News Service - October 19th, 2022 [October 19th, 2022]
- Major raids into Al-Aqsa and the Occupation prevents worshipers from entering - Middle East Monitor - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Funny Girl Star Tovah Feldshuh on Sharing the Stage With Lea Michele and What the Talmud Says About Gossip - Variety - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- No-bake 'millionaire' bars are a rich treat for a sweet Simchat Torah J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Jewish donations to support abortion rights groups are booming J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Superminis Remix Of The Phantom Of The Operas Title Song is Out Now - Yahoo Entertainment - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Joey Weisenberg coming to S.F. to help build 'singing communities' J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Islamic Tahrif Began With The Samaritans OpEd - Eurasia Review - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Rosh Hashanah threats show that Jewish students are being targeted - JNS.org - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Freedom to cycle The female Afghan refugees rediscovering life on the bike in Italy - CyclingWeekly - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- Rabbi: Lets recommit to one another and get the polio vaccine | Opinion - NJ.com - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- How and when did the first synagogues appear in Ukraine, and why is this an important aspect of Ukrainian history (Pt. 1) - UJE - Ukrainian Jewish... - October 13th, 2022 [October 13th, 2022]
- The Facts about Pope John Paul I Novus Ordo Watch - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- My ApologiesKanye West Isn't What I Told You - The Epoch Times - October 11th, 2022 [October 11th, 2022]
- A new cookbook highlights women of the Talmud - Press Herald - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- The greatest contemporary teacher of Judaism is a van driver in Israel - Religion News Service - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Letter to the Editor: Rabbis do take political stands when morality, ethics and national threats are involved - Summit Daily - October 8th, 2022 [October 8th, 2022]
- Taking inspiration from the Talmud to feed the needy - Australian Jewish News - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Kenden Alfond Finds Culinary Inspiration from the Talmud - aish.com - Aish.com - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Missouri bagel shop goes viral for effort to feed the needy J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- What Do Some of YU's Torah Leaders Think of the Five Torot? - The Commentator - The Commentator - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Gorbachev was different he had a heart - The Jewish Standard - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Love is a Skeleton Key - aish.com - Aish.com - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- 50 Best Wine Quotes That Will Have You Breaking Out a Bottle Stat! - Parade Magazine - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- We have faced Amaleks like Putin forever, but with morality we can prevail J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Being On The Team - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- Twelve more Slovaks awarded Righteous Among the Nations - The Slovak Spectator - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- West Temples Rabbi Lader to retire in June 2023 - Cleveland Jewish News - September 11th, 2022 [September 11th, 2022]
- A Texas rabbi is fighting Jewish stereotypes on Chinas TikTok - The Times of Israel - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- I'm a Gamblin' Man: The 17th Century Rabbi who Battled Addiction - aish.com - Aish.com - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- Q & A: The Mantle Of Leadership (Part II) - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- Anger, Procrastination, and Elul - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 29th, 2022 [August 29th, 2022]
- What Is the Talmud? - Christianity.com - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- The Choice: A Novel of Love, Faith, and the Talmud - reviewed by Rabbi Jeffrey Cohen J-Wire - J-Wire Jewish Australian News Service - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- What If It Were 'Zalman'? - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Jewish law symposium to tackle the ethics of cancel culture and redemption - The Jewish Standard - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- What I'm Reading (Aug. 25) | American Council on Science and Health - American Council on Science and Health - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Apples of Our Eyes: Stories of the Unforgettable Teachers Who Illuminated Our Minds and Marked Our Lives - Jewish Journal - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Here Comes the Judge - Jewish Exponent - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Asking the Clergy: Your faith and recreational marijuana - Newsday - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- When Judaism considers the future, it looks to the past - Jewish Community Voice - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- The Judaism And Zionism Of David Sarnoff - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Blessings From Studying The Zera Shimshon - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- You Say it but Do You Believe it? - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Facing a personal reckoning, with a dose of absurdity, on a bus tour of Naziland - Forward - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Ezra Furman and the Tireless, Sacred Work of Being Alive | Interview - The Line of Best Fit - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- The Long and Short of a Well-Rounded Shabbos - The Jewish Press - JewishPress.com - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- At many Bay Area synagogues, the real action is social action J. - The Jewish News of Northern California - August 25th, 2022 [August 25th, 2022]
- Abortion is a religious issue, but not in the way you think - Santa Fe New Mexican - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Jews and Muslims are fasting next week. Let's hold the interfaith activities another time. - Cleveland Jewish News - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- A Pennsylvania candidate for governor cuts ties with Gab, and antisemitism on the site spikes - Forward - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Reading the Book of Psalms in the Twenty-First Century - Jewish Journal - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Rabbi's Caroline's invocation kicking off the Mayoral debate - Islander News.com - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Jewish Perspectives On Termination Of Pregnancy - Los Alamos Daily Post - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]
- Tuesdays primaries offered a glint of hope for Democrats this fall - The Guardian - August 6th, 2022 [August 6th, 2022]