The first surgery was performed 31,000 years ago! (VIDEO)  

To an unlucky forager

A human skeleton missing the lower part of its left leg thrilled archaeologists when it was discovered in Borneo, Indonesia. Looking more closely at the missing limb, scientists found that the leg had been methodically removed 31,000 years ago, when this man was still a child. This is the evidence of the oldest surgical procedure that we know of to date.

Amazingly, after the amputation, the leg healed well, giving the man another 6-9 years of life. He was buried with the amputated leg stretched out and grave markers on his grave.

It was a huge surprise that this ancient forager survived a very serious and life-threatening operation at a young age and that the wound had healed, and that he lived for years in rocky mountain terrain with limited mobility. This also shows a high level of care from the community.

Even today with the full arsenal of knowledge and technology, such operations require considerable knowledge of anatomy and technical expertise to stop bleeding, reduce pain and prevent infection. For this reason scientists are excited about the successful operation 31,000 years ago.

According to the research, the surgeon or team that attempted the operation must have had a detailed knowledge of human anatomy, hygiene and the circulatory system to amputate the leg taking into account the veins, blood vessels and nerves, preventing fatal loss. blood and infection. They must also have understood that the removal of the limb was necessary for the survival of the individual.

The new find in Borneo proves that people already had the ability to amputate injured or diseased limbs, long before agriculture and settlement began.

The scientists ruled out amputation from an animal attack or accident because such injuries also cause fractures. Whether the skeleton is evidence of an advanced medical practice in Borneo communities or a hitherto unknown wider knowledge of medical practices among early humans remains a mystery. It may simply be a rare and isolated incident.

One possibility is that the many cases of infection in the humid and tropical climate forced the natives to seek medicinal plants in the lush forests, leading to a growth in the use of herbs for anesthesia, antiseptics, and other wound-healing treatments.

The research was published in Nature .