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.
That’s metal 🤘
Literally
We, the “modern humans”, would do so many mental gymnastics but to accept the apparent fact that “ancient humans” were in no way less smarter than us.
In reality intelligence was about the same, just less existing knowledge to stand on.
It’s not individual intelligence, it’s access to knowledge.
Every big leap forward in human society has been about how far/fast ideas can be exchanged.
When that happens, suddenly all types of other advancements happen and then slow down over time till the next leap in communication.
The biggest thing humans have going for us, is it only takes one human to figure something out these days.
Standing on the shoulders of giants.
Actually the opposite.
All those famous early scientists were just the only ones with access to libraries or even the ability to read back then.
They figured a bunch of shit out, but it’s because they were the only ones with the time and resources to sit around and bounce ideas off each other.
If you only educate like 0.01% of the population, you shouldn’t be surprised when that who comes up with innovation.
But your odds are better if you educate everyone, and then throw the smartest together. Rather than just hoping the rich upper class has a couple smart people this generation.
Unfortunately the current leap in communication today is tik tok and AI controlled short videos.
The other alternative leap in communication was meta.
I would argue that intelligence is different than exploration. We now have amassed so much recordable knowledge across so many disciplines. In the past those that remembered this knowledge correctly or where to find it were the intelligent ones. Now it’s how we use it. It’s a drastic pivot point in human history and the computer is the center piece.
Tough to say what existing knowledge there was after the Spaniards saved them.
“saved”
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
Surprising as it may seem, the patient survived the procedure, as evidenced by the fact that bone surrounding it fused together.
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.
Yes, this is a real human skull that is thousands of years old. Elongation was achieved through head binding beginning at a very young age. It was typically practiced to convey social status by various cultures.
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.
Imagine living through getting your head smashed in as well as having it pieced back together and fixed with a chunk of crudely shaped metal. I hope they had some good drugs.
Imagine if it was melted metal poured on his head to give it shape. 💀
That’s metal
We have the technology
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I don’t doubt it, but what are you referencing?
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You mean Mexico?
The event where they were displayed was in Mexico
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It’s no one bothered by the fact his skull is massive? And before you say they elongated his skull with ropes, go and check more recent procedures, the skull thines on the top, like a cone head.
This guy skull was ancient aliens big, because I doubt that was a warrior with macrocephaly.
He’s the first Hell’s Angel.
I wasn’t aware there was any metalworking going on that long ago in South America… interesting
What if we all got it wrong, and the metal came from the guys helmet as it was bashed in from something heavy and hot that fused part of the helmet to the fractured skull?
