Skilled Surgery 31,000 Years Ago

[naomi24]

A skeleton discovered in a cave in Indonesia has turned out to be evidence of the earliest known surgical amputation, pre-dating other discoveries of complex medical procedures across Eurasia by tens of thousands of years.

Prior to this discovery, Dr Tim Maloney, a research fellow at Australia’s Griffith University, said it had been widely accepted that amputation was a guaranteed death sentence until about 10,000 years ago, when surgical procedures advanced with the development of large settled agricultural societies.

He said the successful operation suggested some form of intensive care, including regular disinfection post-operation and this implies that early people had mastered complex surgical procedures. The nature of the healing, including the clean stump showed it was caused by amputation and not an accident or animal attack.

The patient survived not just as a child, but as an adult amputee in this rainforest environment and importantly, not only does the stump lack infection, but it also lacks distinctive crushing.

“This finding very much changes the known history of medical intervention and knowledge of humanity,” Maloney said….. "the stone age surgeon must have had detailed knowledge of anatomy, including veins, vessels and nerves, to avoid causing fatal blood loss and infection".

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/sep/07/31000-year-old-skeleton-missing-its-lower-left-leg-is-earliest-known-evidence-of-surgery-experts-say

How? My thinking on the potential presence of ancient aliens on Earth in the dim and distant past is rearing its head again. Any thoughts?

[naomi24]

No ... let's not say that, Zacs. Let's ask if it's possible that people with modern technology and methods existed on earth in those times - and if it is possible, how is it possible?

[THECORBYLOON]

I'll ask again, where are there other examples of similar amputations from the same time period?

[jim360]

Which "modern technology" do you mean, though? Surely the better question still is "what *ancient* technology and methods allowed them to do this?"

[naomi24]

You told us the answer to that. Without going back to check I think you said something like tools made of flint.

[jim360]

In that case, case closed, mystery solved, etc etc :P

[naomi24]

It would seem so - at least in your opinion.

[jim360]

It's evidently *not* my opinion that the mystery is resolved. But, if you were wanting to understand how Stone Age people did amputations, then it stands to reason that the best place to start is to look for suitable Stone Age technology.

[naomi24]

The full circle. :o)

[Sqad]

Mrs sqad has given her opinion:

"the cut is so clean, that only a laser could have done it and that confirms aliens 31 million years ago."

End of discussion -:)

[jim360]

You should have asked long ago what the 360 in my name means :P

But there's no "full circle" here, so I'm honestly not sure what you're going on about.

[naomi24]

I didn't need to ask, Jim. I know what it means.

Sqad, you're a very lucky man because your wife is a very sensible and intelligent woman. ;o)

[jim360]

Doesn't answer the question about what the "full circle" is in this case.

I mean, to be clear:

1. Previously, we presumably thought that Stone Age humanity was incapable of such an operation.

2. But such an operation was performed, successfully, at least once.

3. Doesn't this show that our initial assumptions about the capabilities of humanity at that stage of history were wrong? It seems weird to double down, in effect, on the claim that they were *right*, ie that only some form of "modern technology and methods" can do the job.

[naomi24]

Corby, sorry, I missed your question. This is the first discovered from that period. See the OP.

[naomi24]

Jim,

1. Yes.

2. Yes.

3. Yes - but if we fail to pursue the ‘how?’ it means nothing. We’re back to stone and flint. The full circle.

[Zacs-Master]

'and if it is possible, how is it possible?'

I've no idea. Space aliens?