Experts from a US museum believe it could be one of the oldest examples of advanced surgery. The Museum of Osteology in Oklahoma said the skull is reported to have been that of a man who was injured in battle before undergoing surgery to implant a piece of metal in his head to repair a fracture.
Is there more info?
My first thought is why did they discount the idea from movies of someone being executed painfully by having molten metal poured on their head?
They discounted the idea because
This rarely happens when they pour molten metal on the head, according to medical experts.
(source: Snopes)
I am not a medical expert but I concur that having molten metal poured over your head and having signs of healing would have very little correlation
Go stay at a Holliday Inn and tell us what you think the following morning.
Couldn’t they have cast it and put the patch in after it cooled?
Thanks for the link, it also answered my question about the shape of the skull.
Thanks! I wasn’t seriously considering that it may have happened, just reminded me of movies (as I mentioned) and was keen to read more as no source was linked.
I’m no expert, but my first thought is, molten metal is so hot it would probably do more damage than it would fix. Also, the shape is quite neat/precise, rarely the case when pouring a liquid on a curved surface. There doesn’t seem to be any pooling in the cracks and depressions. The edges are very clean.
Furthermore, and to me, most convincingly, it looks like it’s been hammered. There are no bubbles, thickness looks regular, the surface looks like it has been worked on, there are even what seem to be folds, to adapt the shape to the wound.
The bones have fused back together, which shows that there was healing, which takes time. So that indicates that the person survived the wound (and the procedure).
So that’s what I would guess based on those photos.
I’m very impressed it worked. Look at the wound. Someone seems to have had their skull crushed in by a big blunt object, rock or hammer or whatever. I wouldn’t really expect anyone to survive that, even with modern medical abilities.
Edit : I think I sort of misread your question. But either way, the info above still stands.
I would add, re: the execution idea. In most early civilizations, metal is a rare resource. Why waste it one someone you want to kill?
Looks like it covers the damaged part of the skull, for one. If it was for execution it is unlikely it’d just cover that spot. It’s not exactly a lot if you’re just trying to execute someone. Not that I’d want any amount poured on me.
If it was molten metal, wouldn’t the bone have signs of heat damage?
That’s what she said 😏
yeah lol me too. but I think it looks like it is just cold forged
Because they’re experts and you’re just some dickhead on the internet…?
Nothing wrong with asking critical questions and wondering how one can be sure of something! That’s the first step of figuring out how stuff works - it’s how every one of those experts started out. And especially so as the original post did not cite any sources. No need for the hostility! :)
My bet is they are Australian. We call dickheads “dickhead” for all sorts of reasons not just because they’re a dickhead.
Bingo.
Sorry about that, I assumed you were being a dickhead and it turns out you’re just some dickhead. Fair enough!
“The bingos ate your baby”
Yes, I’m a dickhead as well
I said to shoot across her nose, not up it!
Sorry sir I’m doing the best I can.
Who’s that?
That’s Dickhead sir.
I know that but what’s his name?
That is his name sir. Major Dickhead.
Well who hired him?
I did sir! He’s my brother.
He’s a Dickhead too, sir.
How many Dickheads do we HAVE on this ship?!?
YO!
I knew it. I’m surrounded by Dickheads. KEEP FIRING, Dickheads.
So if I understand you correctly “dickhead” in this context is not an insult? 🤨
Not really. It’s like saying you’re just another idiot on the internet, not an expert. It CAN be an insult, but in the context above it wasn’t, or at least only a gentle one.
Edit to say, remember we are the people that call our best friends fuckhead and our enemies mate. And vice-versa.
No hostility. You literally are just some dickhead on the internet, it’s how anonymous sites line this work… And come on, your basis for this was based on movies? How the fuck is anyone meant to actually take your line of questioning seriously to begin with? And the article included info to answer your question anyway. Sure, be critical, but actually be critical…
I do appreciate the healthy fascination with dickheads.
I wasn’t even seriously suggesting that they had molten metal poured on them, just hoping to read more since no article was linked.
But there was no link to any article so who are these experts? I wasn’t seriously suggesting they had molten metal poured on them, it was just my dumb way of asking for more info.