16 September 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

A 3200-year-old trepanned skull discovered in eastern Turkey’s Van province

A 3200-year-old trepanned skull was discovered in eastern Turkey’s Van province.

In the prehistoric era, Anatolia served as a transitional area for the first human settlement from the Neolithic period. Prehistoric people have left the tips of beliefs, rituals, and ways of their lives in this land.

Archeology, anthropology, and with the cooperation of medical science is trying to solve these tips. Preparation is one of the findings of this unique example that can be accepted as the beginning of the history of neurosurgery. Although first trepanation (Brain surgery) has been performed in a skull which discovered in Israel in Paleolithic period, the oldest trepanned skull was belonging to Neolithic human. However, many trepanations have been performed after deat.

The earliest trepanation in living human was discovered in Aşıklı Höyük. After Aşıklı Höyük, another extraordinary trepanation find in Anatolia was discovered during the ongoing salvage excavations in Van.

This special find was found during the salvage excavation in the Early Iron Age necropolis in the İçimli hamlet of Uzuntekne Village in the Çatak district of Van.

The exciting find was shared on the social media account of the Excavations and Research Department of the General Directorate of Cultural Heritage and Museums of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The trepanation find, which was discovered during the rescue excavations of the Early Iron Age necropolis, which started in 2016 under the presidency of the Van Museum and carried out under the scientific consultancy of Dr. Gulan Ayaz from the Department of Archeology at Van Yüzüncü Yıl University for two years, by the Excavations and Research Department, “Four seasons in our excavations. An extraordinary example of trepanation dating back 3200 years from our rescue excavations carried out by our YYU faculty members under the presidency of the Van Museum…” announced as.

Trepanation has been for thousands of years, making it one of the oldest medical procedures known to the human race.

Trepanation was thought to be a remedy for a variety of conditions, including head injuries in ancient times. It may also have been used to treat pain. Some scientists also think that the technique was used in rituals to expel spirits from the body.

We will continue to convey the developing information about the second extraordinary 3200-year-old trepanation find after Aşıklı Höyük.

Related Articles

Medieval Ring with a Skull Emblem Found in Wales and The Gold Coins are Declared Treasure

11 April 2021

11 April 2021

Located in wales nine treasure finds dating from the medieval and post-medieval periods have been declared treasure. Metal detectors in...

Experts believe the 7,000-year-old circular stone structures were once houses, complete with doorways and roofs in Saudi Arabia

16 July 2024

16 July 2024

Archaeologists have excavated eight ancient “standing stone circles” in Saudi Arabia that they say were used as houses. Eight of...

In Parion, one of the most important cities of the Troas region, 2,000-year-old mother-child graves were unearthed

1 November 2022

1 November 2022

Archaeological excavations in the ancient city of Parion, the most important harbor city in the Hellenistic era, have uncovered  2,000-year-old...

Ancient coins surface with Lake Iznik’s withdrawal in Türkiye

2 May 2023

2 May 2023

With the withdrawal of Lake Iznik in the northwest of Türkiye, the ancient coins found at the bottom of the...

Incredible Mayan Inventions and Achievements

31 July 2022

31 July 2022

The Mayans excelled at agriculture, pottery, writing, calendars, and arithmetic, leaving an incredible quantity of spectacular architecture and symbolic artwork...

Significant Archaeological Discovery on Failaka Island: Hellenistic Courtyard and Building Unearthed

17 February 2025

17 February 2025

The National Council for Culture, Arts and Letters (NCCAL) has announced a remarkable archaeological find on Failaka Island, revealing a...

This Month in the “You Will See What You Don’t See” Project

11 February 2021

11 February 2021

Izmir Archeology Museum started to exhibit the unseen artifacts in its warehouses last month in the project that started under...

Gold jewelry from the time of Nefertiti found in Bronze Age tombs in Cyprus

1 December 2021

1 December 2021

Archaeologists from the University of Gothenburg have concluded an excavation of two tombs in the Bronze Age city of Hala...

“Harbetsuvan Tepe”, the 10,000-year-old Neolithic Acropolis of Taş Tepeler

21 May 2022

21 May 2022

Harbetsuvan Hill is similar to the acropolises built on the hills near the ancient Greek cities. It was established in...

A 2,000-year-old Roman sewage system has been discovered in western Turkey

19 September 2021

19 September 2021

The archaeological excavations carried out in the ancient city of Tripolis in the western province of Denizli’s Buldan district have...

Japan Researchers Uncover Lost Villa Believed to Belong to First Roman Emperor

19 April 2024

19 April 2024

Researchers from the University of Tokyo have discovered a nearly 2,000-year-old building at a site with ancient Roman ruins buried...

Two Durham Archaeology Students, One from Türkiye, Earn Prestigious Awards for Research on Ancient Lycia

26 July 2025

26 July 2025

In a remarkable achievement for Anatolian studies, two Durham University-affiliated archaeology students have received prestigious awards for their research on...

Archeologists unearth largest rare wooden “Haniwa” Statue in Japan

10 December 2022

10 December 2022

The remains of a 3.5-meter-tall wooden “haniwa” statue have been discovered at one of the “kofun” ancient burial mounds that...

A 2100-year-old inscription found İn Türkiye: Antiochos of Commagene calls on the people to ‘obey and respect the law’

15 March 2024

15 March 2024

The ancient inscription found near Kımıldağı (Kımıl Mount) in Önevler village of Adıyaman’s Gerger district in 2023 will shed light...

2500-year-old ship graffiti sheds light on the history of Izmir in western Turkey

9 March 2022

9 March 2022

In the Smyrna Agora, which is one of the largest ancient agora in the city center of the world and...