Archaeology, Ethnology & Anthropology of Eurasia 42 (4) 2014

Annotation:  Test Study of Organic and Inorganic Residues on the Stone Tools from the Mesolithic Layer in the Dvo Carinated Pieces in Paleolithic Assemblages of Central Asia Ceramics of the Mariinskoye Culture from the Lower Amur Chronology of the Chalcolithic and the Early Bronze Age in the Urals Ethnic and Cultural Mosaic in Western Baraba During the Late Bronze to Iron Age Transition (14th–8th Imitation/Reconstruction of an Early Medieval Dwelling in the Western Amur Basin Inscriptions in Uyghur Writing and Runic Characters from the Urkosh Area (Central Altai) High Field Magnetic Resonance Imaging of a Mummy from AkAlakha-3 Mound 1, Ukok Plateau, Gorny Altai: Paleolandscape Reconstruction of the Abrau Peninsula Littoral (Krasnodar Territory): Based on Sedime An Archaeological Landscape in the Dzhazator Valley (Altai Mountains): Surface Monuments and Petrogl Metal Plaques from the Fortifi ed Settlement Old Iskarra: Attribution and Subjects Ethnological Approach to Siberian Zoomorphs: A Search for Meaning and Implications for the Upper Pa Genealogies of the Siberian Bukharans: The Shikhovs Early Iron Age Surgical Technologies: Ante-Mortem Trepanation Among the Early Nomads of Gorny Altai   

Early Iron Age Surgical Technologies: Ante-Mortem Trepanation Among the Early Nomads of Gorny Altai

T.A. Chikisheva, P.V. Volkov, A.L. Krivoshapkin, A.T. Titov, V.P. Kurbatov, A.V. Zubova, and A.P. Borodovsky.

Results of a science-based analysis of ante-mortem trepanation carried out by Scythian Age surgeons of Gorny Altai (4th–3rd centuries BC) are presented. Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry, energy dispersive X-ray fl uorescent analysis using synchrotron radiation, and magnetic resonance tomography were supplemented by microwear experiments. All trepanations were performed by scraping and included two stages. The bone tissue around the holes reveals high concentrations of copper and tin but no traces of iron or arsenic, suggesting that surgical instruments were made of tin bronze. A knife, experimentally manufactured of copper, tin, and zinc alloy and shaped like knives used by Southern Siberian nomads, was successfully used to perform trepanation on a cadaver.

Keywords: Trepanation, Pazyryk culture, Scythian Age, experimental micro-wear analysis, mass spectrometry, X-ray fl uorescence.