A Surgical Intervention in Turkish Steppe Culture: Trepanation

Year 2025, Volume: 10 Issue: 1, 516 - 556, 27.03.2025

Gülay Hoştaş

https://doi.org/10.24186/vakanuvis.1551703

Abstract

Trepanation, considered one of the most remarkable traumatic conditions on skeletons in the paleopathological sense, is a method applied by many societies in ancient times for various purposes such as treatment or ritual. The most basic form of trepanation is the removal of bone fragments from the skull with the use of cutting and piercing tools, drilling holes in the skull, or scraping the skull. From the past to the present, scientists have put forward many views on the classification of trepanation and have conducted research in this context. It has been determined as a result of archaeological research in the kurgans that trepanation, which is known to have traces in many communities in the world, was also practiced by the Turks. As a result of these studies, the evaluation of the findings on trepanation is very important for Turkish culture. The aim of our study is to provide general information about what trepanation is, which is a very comprehensive subject, for what purposes it is performed, and to reveal the existence of this practice among the Turks in particular. In this context, we have endeavored to give examples of trepanation in various kurgans belonging to the Turks and to evaluate them within the framework of Turkish culture.

Keywords

Trepanation, Craniotomy, Turkish Steppe Culture, Eastern Europe, Turkestan

Türk Bozkır Kültüründe Cerrahi Bir Müdahale: Trepanasyon

Abstract

Paleopatolojik anlamda iskeletler üzerinde en dikkat çekici travmatik durumlardan biri olarak kabul edilen trepanasyon, antik çağlarda birçok toplum tarafından tedavi ya da ritüel gibi çeşitli amaçlar doğrultusunda uygulanmış bir yöntemdir. Kesici ve delici olmak üzere birtakım aletlerin kullanılmasıyla kafatasından kemik parçası çıkarma, kafatası üzerinde delik açma ya da kafatasını kazıma trepanasyonun en temel hali olarak kabul edilmiştir. Geçmişten günümüze bilim insanları trepanasyonun sınıflandırılmasına dair birçok görüş ileri sürmüşler ve bu kapsamda araştırmalar yapmışlardır. Dünyada birçok toplulukta izleri olduğu bilinen trepanasyonun Türkler tarafından da uygulandığı kurganlarda yapılan arkeolojik araştırmalar sonucunda tespit edilmiştir. Bu çalışmalar neticesinde trepanasyona dair elde edilen bulguların değerlendirilmesi Türk kültürü açısından oldukça önem arz etmektedir. Çalışmamızda oldukça geniş kapsamlı bir konu olan trepanasyonun ne olduğu, hangi amaçlarla yapıldığına dair genel bilgi vermeyi ve özelde Türklerde bu uygulamanın varlığını ortaya koymayı amaçlamaktayız. Bu bağlamda bilgi verdiğimiz trepanasyonun Türklere ait çeşitli kurganlardaki örneklerini vererek bunları Türk kültürü çerçevesinde değerlendirmeyi gayret edindik.

Keywords

Trepanasyon, Kraniyotomi, Türk Bozkır Kültürü, Doğu Avrupa, Türkistan

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