大象传媒

"This is the trepanned disk from the cranium of a young man, found in the excavation of a Bronze Age barrow at Snail Down in Collingbourne Kingston in 1955.

"The object may look very unprepossessing but it is the story behind it that we find quite amazing.

"The cut was probably made with a blade made of flint which is razor sharp. What was used for an anaesthetic or to sterilise to close the wound we don't know at all, but the process must have been very unhygienic when compared with today鈥檚 hospital procedures.

"Did he survive the operation? Again we don't know but we do know that in other cases the Bronze Age person did survive the operation and in one instance went on to repeat the operation two more times."

Roger Watson, Documentation Officer

The Wiltshire Heritage Museum and Library

• ADDRESS: Wiltshire Heritage Museum, 41 Long Street, Devizes SN10 1NS
• TELEPHONE: 01380 727369
• OPEN: Usual Opening Times: Museum 10am - 5pm, Monday to Saturday and noon - 4pm on Sundays
• ADMISSION: Museum admission is: 拢4 Adults, 拢3 concessions, 拢1 for Children under 16 (first child in group, others are admitted FREE - except school groups)