The ancient Egyptians tried to treat cancer using brain surgery.
A skull shows that ancient Egyptians used brain surgery to treat cancer
Cutmarks on a 4,000-year-old skull indicate that the Egyptians attempted to operate on excessive tissue growth, according to scientists.
Evidence from ancient texts has revealed that the Egyptians were "exceptionally skilled" in medical matters and were able to identify, describe and treat both diseases and traumatic injuries.
A team of international experts have also come up with the alternative theory that they were trying to discover more about cancerous conditions following a patient's death.
Dr. Tatiana Tondini, first author of the study at Germany's University of Tubingen, said: "We see that although ancient Egyptians were able to deal with complex cranial fractures, cancer was still a medical knowledge frontier.
"We wanted to learn about the role of cancer in the past, how prevalent this disease was in antiquity, and how ancient societies interacted with this pathology.
"When we first observed the cutmarks under the microscope, we could not believe what was in front of us."