Brain Surgery Happened Before The Written Word Was Invented
Brain surgery is incredibly complicated, which is why it is still one of the highest-paid professions in the world. However, the practice of “trepanning” or surgically cutting a hole into someone’s skull has been around for an incredibly long time. This surgery was often done to people who had mental illness, because they believed that there must be pressure on the brain. It has been estimated that only 40% of people actually survived after having a trepanning surgery.
There is evidence of trepanning happening as far back as the Neolithic or New Stone Age period. Believe it or not, this happened all over the world. Apparently a lot of people thought it was a great idea to open skulls and see what happens. To put into perspective how long this has been going on, these surgeries pre-date the beginning of the written word, around 3400 BC.
