MAIASP. 2024. No. 17

Dmitry Kirichenko (Baku, Azerbaijan)

A trepanned skull from kurgan in the Ganjachai river valley (Azerbaijan Republic)

DOI: 10.53737/2713-2021.2024.62.38.003

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Pages: 56—76

The article examines a male skull (dolichocephalic, narrow-faced, Europoid) with traces of trepanation. The burial where the cranium was found belongs to the Khojaly-Kedabek archaeological culture of the late Bronze Age to early Iron Age and was discovered during archaeological excavations by Ya.I. Gummel in the Goygol district. The trepanation hole, measuring 2.4 × 2 cm, round in shape, is located on the sagittal suture, at the junction of the frontal and left temporal bones. Craniotomy was performed by scraping and cutting. The skull shows signs of inflammatory reaction and bone healing. The patient survived for a certain period after the operation. The manipulation was likely carried out for medical purposes. The skull also exhibits discrete non-metric traits and stress markers. Currently, there are 8 cases of trepanation known, dating from the late 2nd to early 1st millennium BCE from the territory of Azerbaijan: among them, 2 (males) were performed during life for medical purposes by scraping and cutting (one successfully, the other resulting in the patient’s death); six for ritual-symbolic purposes, among them, 4 were performed during life by cauterization (male, female, 2 adult individuals) and two posthumously (female and male) by cutting.

Key words: Azerbaijan, archaeology, Khojaly-Gedabek archaeological culture, The Late Bronze — Early Iron Ages, physical anthropology, trepanation, paleopathology.

Received  May 10, 2024

Accepted for publication June 10, 2024

About the author:

Kirichenko Dmitry (Baku, Azerbaijan). PhD (Archaeology), Ass. Professor, Institute of archaeology and anthropology, Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences.

E-mail: dmakirichenko@mail.ru