Early Middle Age Surgeons – Two Trepanned Skulls from the Necropolis near the village Nedan, Bulgaria

Archaeological excavations near the village Nedan, Pavlikeni district, Bulgaria, revealed Middle Age cemetery with 26 graves, dated from the 9 th and first decades of the 10 th c CE. Burial ritual, follows in generally Christian practice.However, many deviations from the strict ritual are registered -most of the complexes contain animal bones; present traces of burning; posthumous intervention in the anatomical skeleton position is observed.In the complexes are found various materials, some being parts of the clothing of the buried, other could have been laid as offerings.Skulls from graves # 7 (child ca.3-4 years) and # 23 (female, ca.50-60 up to 65 years) present specific defects.The one from grave # 23 identifies as survived cranial trepanation.The defects on the skull from grave # 7 are more complex for interpretation.Skulls or the postcranial skeletal fragments don't present clues for possible reasons for the performed intentional manipulations.