[MR] History Blog: “Giant” Skeleton with Trepanning

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

Now for something more than a bit grim. An excavation near Cambridge in
England has turned up a mass grave that included the skeleton of an
unusually large man whose skull had been trepanned.

The grave is near what was the disputed border between the Saxon kingdom of
Mercia and Viking-held East Anglia, and is thought to date from the 9th or
10th century. The burial pit included four complete skeletons, as well as
assorted loose skulls and dismembered body parts. Up to ten individuals,
all male, are thought to have been buried together.

The "giant" would have stood about 6' 6", towering over almost anyone else
alive at that time. His skull has a large hole just behind his left ear
from a medical treatment called "trepanning", that is cutting a hole into
the skull to relieve brain pressure. The article suggests he may have had a
tumor that not only caused severe headaches, but also caused his pituitary
gland to produce excessive growth hormones.

The story is found at https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/75303 .

Yours Aye,

Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge 🦆
Continuing a crusade to keep the original Merry Rose relevant and in
business.