A review of trepanations in British antiquity focusing on funerary context to explain their occurrence

Roberts, C.A.; McKinley, J.

Abstract

This study focuses on the extant evidence for trepanations in Britain and assesses the possible reasons for their occurrence. Sixty-two trepanations are considered, ranging in date from the Neolithic (4,000-2,000 BC) to the post-Medieval (post-sixteenth century AD) periods. The post-Roman/Anglo-Saxon period provided the most numerous evidence (24 or 38.7% of the total), and in 43 cases the reason for the trepanation was not apparent. Almost two thirds of the trepanations had evidence of healing. Consideration of funerary context revealed that only the Iron Age examples, and one Anglo-Saxon individual with a trepanation buried prone in a Roman villa site, might have been the result of a special or ritual act.

Citation

Roberts, C., & McKinley, J. (2000, April). A review of trepanations in British antiquity focusing on funerary context to explain their occurrence. Presented at Trepanation : history, discovery, theory. International colloquium on cranial trepanation in human history., Birmingham University

• Presentation Conference Type: Conference Paper (published)
• Conference Name: Trepanation : history, discovery, theory. International colloquium on cranial trepanation in human history.
• Start Date: Apr 1, 2000
• Publication Date: Jan 1, 2003
• Deposit Date: Sep 30, 2009
• Pages: 55-78
• Book Title: Trepanation : history—discovery—theory.
• Keywords: Trepanation, Britain, Prehistoric, Roman, Post-Roman/Anglo-Saxon, Later and post-Medieval, Funerary context.
• Public URL: https://durham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1695163