A team of Indonesian and Australian archaeologists, including academics from Griffith University and the University of Western Australia, have discovered the oldest known evidence of surgical amputation in a limestone cave on Borneo, dating back to at least About 31 thousand years ago.
The results , published in the journal Nature on September 7, broke the record for the oldest previously known evidence of an "operation" to surgically amputate a Petra farmer's arm from a Neolithic site in France 7,000 years ago.
Intentional amputation
According to the press release published on the University of Western Australia website on September 8, the team of researchers found the human skeleton remains of a young adult whose lower left limb was surgically removed, possibly when he was a child. They also found evidence showing that the patient survived the operation and lived for at least another 6 to 9 years before being deliberately buried inside the Liang Tebo cave in East Kalimantan.
Dr India Ella Delkes-Hall, from the University of Western Australia's School of Social Sciences and a Forest Prospect Fellow, co-led the 2020 excavations at Liang Tipu Cave, and said this "extraordinary find" was evidence that early modern humans had Much more advanced medical knowledge and skills than they were originally.”
"The prevailing opinion about the development of surgical practice was that it was closely related to the emergence of agricultural societies about 10,000 years ago, during what is known as the Neolithic Revolution, which led to the emergence of a range of health problems that were not known before. Our discovery of intentional amputation explains These societies possess an advanced level of medical expertise and skills.”
The researchers discovered the human burial while a small team of archaeologists, supported by experienced local guides, searched for evidence of human groups in the rugged karst terrain that hosts some of the world's oldest rock art. Three limestone boulders were placed as burial marks above the head and each arm of the unearthed person lying on his back in a "deliberately flexed position".
The human remains and other artefacts were excavated with approval from the Indonesian government, and then flown to Griffith University in Queensland, Australia, where a more detailed analysis by Dr Melandri Fluck confirmed the amputation.
Dr India Ella Delkes-Hall of the University of Western Australia's School of Social Sciences and Forest Prospect Fellow during the excavation. Photo from the press release published on the official website of the University of Western Australia
Surgical tool and knowledge of botanical remedies
“Evidence suggests that the person, whose sex we could not determine, had their lower left leg removed in an intentional surgical resection of the tibia and distal fibula,” says Dr. Dilex-Hall. “There was no evidence of injury to that limb, the most common complication being injury open wound without antiseptic treatment, indicating the traditional ecological knowledge of plant medicinal treatments at the time.
Dr Tim Maloney of Griffith University denied that the leg was lost in an accident or during an animal attack, as there were no traces of crushing in the bones. “The remodeled bone covers the amputation surfaces as it heals,” Dr. Maloney said. “The cutting margins suggest the use of a sharp instrument, with stony and scalloped edges enhancing the likelihood of an instrument being used, although the exact nature of the surgical instruments is still unknown.”
Dr Dilex-Hall said: "Archaeologists are disagreeing with the public on the subject of early modern humans and precarious foraging societies, who argue that comprehensive knowledge of human anatomy, physiology, and surgical procedures, along with the ability to use medicinal plants, developed over a much longer period of time. , passed down through generations through oral traditions.
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