Have you or someone you know ever said, “I need that like I need another hole in my head!” or something similar? Well, at times some people have thought they or others need an actual hole created in their heads. It’ called trepanation.
Was or is it for medical reasons? Was or is it for a ritual? If you’d like to learn more, read these sources:
- Why our ancestors drilled holes in each other’s skulls (2016, BBC – Earth)
- “Survival after trepanation—Early cranial surgery from Late Iron Age Switzerland” (International Journal of Paleopathology, 2015, vol.11, pp.56-65, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpp.2015.08.002)
- “Ancient legacy of cranial surgery” (Archives of Trauma Research, 2012, vol. 1,2, pp. 72-4, doi:10.5812/atr.6556)
Whether you are graduating or continuing with your studies, this is but one example of the many topics you may not have encountered yet. Some of the things you will have to learn, or just want to learn, don’t even exist yet. Never lose your curiosity!
If you’d like assistance with finding additional material on this or another topic, please ask a librarian (email, chat, phone 262.472.1032, or visit the Reference Desk).
