Excavations in the Kolegiacki square in Poznań (Western Poland) revealed a burial with trepanation marks on the skeleton’s head. The remains, dated to 17th century may be one of the oldest known signs of such surgical techniques in Poland, as another well studied find of such marks is dated back to 1613. The skeleton has been discovered in a second layer of burials inside the Collegiate Church of St. Mary Magdalene.

The skeleton’s dating may be narrowed down to a period of 16th-half of 17th century. It might also correspond with the period of activity of one of the most famous physicians in Poznań, Józef Struś, who might have even operated on the person – as archaeologists suspect. The skeleton awaits anthropological examination that might reveal more data about the person’s health, diseases, injuries and looks. An attempt of DNA extraction is also scheduled.

(after Nauka w Polsce & Bartosz Jankowski)