Paracas trepanation

E335112

Paracas trepanation refers to the ancient cranial surgery practiced by the Paracas culture of Peru, in which sections of the skull were carefully removed, likely for medical or ritual purposes.

All labels observed (1)

Label Occurrences
Paracas trepanation canonical 1

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf ancient surgical procedure ⓘ
archaeological phenomenon ⓘ
cranial surgery ⓘ
associatedWithArea south coast of Peru ⓘ
associatedWithCountry Peru ⓘ
associatedWithCulture Andean pre-Columbian cultures ⓘ
associatedWithPractice artificial cranial deformation ⓘ
associatedWithRegion Paracas Peninsula ⓘ
associatedWithSite Cerro Colorado ⓘ
Paracas Necropolis ⓘ
comparedWith Inca trepanation ⓘ
trepanation in other ancient cultures ⓘ
culturalContext complex mortuary practices ⓘ
elite burials ⓘ
evidenceType archaeological human remains ⓘ
trepanned skulls ⓘ
geographicContext Andes ⓘ
notableFeature avoidance of penetrating the dura mater in many cases ⓘ
carefully controlled openings ⓘ
evidence of bone regeneration around trepanation margins ⓘ
high survival rate indicated by bone healing ⓘ
multiple trepanations on some individuals ⓘ
possiblePurpose ritual release of spirits ⓘ
treatment of cranial fractures ⓘ
treatment of head trauma ⓘ
treatment of neurological symptoms ⓘ
practicedBy Paracas culture ⓘ
purpose medical treatment ⓘ
ritual practice ⓘ
requires knowledge of cranial anatomy ⓘ
specialized surgical tools ⓘ
significance evidence of advanced pre-Columbian surgery ⓘ
evidence of early neurosurgical intervention ⓘ
insight into Paracas medical knowledge ⓘ
insight into Paracas religious beliefs ⓘ
studiedInDiscipline bioarchaeology ⓘ
medical anthropology ⓘ
paleopathology ⓘ
surgicalSite cranial vault ⓘ
human skull ⓘ
technique cutting ⓘ
drilling ⓘ
removal of sections of cranial bone ⓘ
scraping ⓘ
timePeriod Early Horizon ⓘ
circa 800 BCE–100 BCE ⓘ
toolMaterial metal tools ⓘ
obsidian implements ⓘ
stone tools ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (1)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Cavernas cemetery → hasArchaeologicalEvidence → Paracas trepanation ⓘ