Short Report

Evidence of Trephinations among the Garamantes, a Late Holocene Saharan Population

  1. E. Nikita1,*,
  2. M. M. Lahr1,
  3. D. Mattingly2

Article first published online: 9 AUG 2011

DOI: 10.1002/oa.1265

Additional Information

How to Cite

Nikita, E., Lahr, M. M. and Mattingly, D. (2011), Evidence of Trephinations among the Garamantes, a Late Holocene Saharan Population. Int. J. Osteoarchaeol.. doi: 10.1002/oa.1265

Author Information

  1. 1

    Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

  2. 2

    School of Archaeology and Ancient History, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK

*Leverhulme Centre for Human Evolutionary Studies, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QH, UK
e-mail: efi.nikita@gmail.com

Publication History

  1. Article first published online: 9 AUG 2011
  2. Manuscript Accepted: 17 JUN 2011
  3. Manuscript Revised: 11 JUN 2011
  4. Manuscript Received: 1 MAY 2011

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Keywords:

  • cranial perforations;
  • medical practices;
  • North Africa;
  • trephination

Abstract

The current communication examines three male individuals who belonged to the Garamantian civilisation, Fezzan, Libya. The individuals have been dated to ad 1–700 and exhibit signs of perforations on their crania, which appear to represent trephinations. The sophistication of the practice and its successful execution, as evidenced by traces of healing, indicate that the Garamantes possessed the knowledge of complex surgical procedures. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

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