Trauma and trephination in a Peruvian mummy

Abstract

Abstract A multidisciplinary team participated in the examination of a colonial era Peruvian mummy. This young adult male had suffered multiple cranial and facial wounds and fractures and he died soon after trephination. Other pathologic findings were limited to the lungs, which showed anthracosilicosis and possible fibrosis. The observed pathology is linked to the two major health hazards of the early colonial era, physical trauma and silver mining. There was no evidence of any benign or malignant tumor, consistent with previous studies of ancient human remains. Such comparisons of ancient and modern mortality are intended to provide a historial perspective on the evolution and etiology of human disease, eventually on a population basis.