{
  "id": 15956961,
  "title": "Why Global Trepanation?",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/21/why-global-trepanation",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-21T21:53:11.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Astral Codex Ten",
    "slug": "astral-codex-ten",
    "url": "https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/why-global-trepanation"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Why were ancient skulls pierced with holes? The mystery of 5-10% of skulls from 10,000 BC to 3,000 BC, found worldwide, holding holes has intrigued researchers. Despite brain surgery today requiring sterilization to prevent fatal infections, trepanation, or drilling a hole in the skull, was a common practice in the past. Trepanation is an effective treatment for epidural hematoma, a condition where blood fills the cranial cavity, putting pressure on vital blood vessels and brain regions, potentially causing death. Drilling a hole in the skull relieves the pressure, but this rare condition accounts for about 1/100,000 hematomas per year today. So, how can 5-10% of people have been trepanned in ancient times? Two reasons are proposed. Firstly, prehistory was violent, with frequent hunting and tribal quarrels leading to epidural hematomas. Secondly, overgeneralization played a role; observing that trepanning sometimes worked for hematomas, people attributed this remedy to other ailments, likely due to the placebo effect and occasional coincidental recoveries. Primitive surgeons stopped at the dura layer, which relieved hematoma but not more sensitive areas. They were also less susceptible to infection due to weaker primitive bacteria. Trepanation likely stopped as injuries declined with civilization, people found better placebos like prayer or amulets, and its practice dwindled. The International Trepanation Advocacy Group, ITAG, ceased its activities around 2015-2020.",
  "summary": "...",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}