Many believe that brain surgery is a relatively modern phenomenon...But the archaeological record shows that humans have been cracking open one another’s heads for thousands of years through the practice of trepanation!
According to a new study, Inca surgeons in ancient Peru commonly and successfully removed small portions of patients' skulls to treat head injuries.
The healers who performed the surgeries used scraping tools and hand drills with differing degrees of success.
Around the ancient Inca capital of Cuzco, remains dating back to A.D. 1000 show that surgical techniques were standardized and perfected over time.
Museum of Anthropology, Archaeology and History, Lima,Peru.