Aspects of Archaic Medicine. Human and Animal Trephination on the territory of Romania (eBook)

“Medical anthropology is still not well developed branch in the Eastern European scholarly studies. However, the focus of such a wonderful researcher like Alexandra Comsa on trephination and related to it another phenomenon, herbal ancient medicine, is a good luck for the whole global medical anthropology. Trephination is a theme with different independent directions of research in historiography, while the author combines her academic knowledge in physical anthropology, archaeology and psychology to offer a book that captures the interest of researchers even from much more fields of research – medicine, history, ethnography, comparative cultural studies, psychopathology, mental health, religious studies etc. These broad aspects determine her innovative contribution to interpretive archaeology as a cross‐cultural study of past humankind.” – Dr. Lolita Nikolova, Director of the International Institute of Anthropology, Salt Lake City, Utah, United States of America„Literatura de specialitate ofera adesea exemple de cranii trepanate. De obicei, acestea sunt, de obicei, spectaculoase, dat fiind ca oamenii sunt uimiti sa afle ca astfel de operatii chirurgicale au putut fi efectuate in timpuri indepartate. Arareori insa am gasit dovezi etnologice privind existenta practicii mentionate pentru animalele domestice, in mod special pentru oi, vite sau cai. O astfel de tematica, asa cum este interventia asupra calotei craniene, care implica un mare risc chiar si in zilele noastre, cand este efectuata cu aparatura sofisticata, a starnit dintotdeauna un interes deosebit, atat printre antropologi, istorici ai medicinei si arheologi, ca sa nu mai mentionam in cadrul publicului. Acest volum este menit sa arunce o noua lumina asupra cunostintelor privind trepanatia pe teritoriul Romaniei. De asemenea, sunt luate in consideratie si alte cazuri din zone diferite ale lumii.“ – Alexandra Comsa