Experimental Tool for Reconsrtuction of the Pazyryk Trepanation in the Gorny Altai
The experimental modelling of the ancient tools is regarded as one of the efficient approaches for justifying the authenticity of the hypotheses related to the peculiarities of the implementation of the past processing technologies. It is especially important for the reconstruction of the performance of such medical procedures as trepanations. Firstly, it is the existence of specialized instruments. Secondly, it is the presence of the trails of trepanation impact that allow determining the potential tools, with which such an operation was conducted. The results of the complex study of a series of the Pazyryk trephined skulls from the Gorny Altai allowed putting forward a proposal concerning the use of metal knives of non-ferrous alloys (copper, bronze, brass) as skull trepanation tools. In order to confirm this hypothesis, an experimental knife of brass was produced, which was successfully used by the neurosurgeon, A.L. Krivoshapkin, by conducting a prototype reconstruction of the Pazyryk era trepanation.