At the site of Aliano, an ancient city that was also home to a large spa-like bath in what is now Turkey, 348 artifacts similar to medical instruments were found. These 1,800-year-old vessels indicate that the archaeological site could have, at the time, housed an ancient medical centre.
This is a discovery that suggests a unique vision of Roman medicine at that time. “Aliano was perhaps one of the first known cases of organized group medical practice.“,” Sarah Yeomans, an archaeologist at St. Mary’s College in Maryland, wrote in a summary of an article she cited Live Science.
⋙ Millennium jewelery reveals previously unknown cultures of Stone Age Europe
The tools found indicate “Relatively complex surgical procedures“
Objects found include surgical instruments, perhaps used to treat hemorrhoids, but also tools for extracting bladder and kidney stones or even for making sutures.
The rest is below this ad
>> Create your personalized trip to Türkiye with our partner
There are also reports that cataract surgeries can be performed there. “The categories and variety of surgical instruments indicate that relatively complex surgical procedures were performed at Aliano.”Sarah Yeomans wrote.
⋙ In Sweden, one of the oldest burial chambers reveals its secrets to archaeologists
The rest is below this ad
Following in the footsteps of Galen, the father of modern medicine?
Galen, an anatomist, therapist, physician, and researcher born in 131 AD, is considered the father of modern medicine and pharmacology. If he had lived in Pergamum, he could have practiced in Aliano, as the two places are not very far from each other.
Galen, according to numerous records, is said to have performed successful operations, especially on gladiators injured in combat. According to Danish Paykan, a professor of archeology at Trakia University in Turkey, Galen could have carried out these successful operations at Aliano, the ancient Roman thermal bath complex.
Discover our partner's tailor-made tours:
The rest is below this ad
On the same topic
⋙ The Dodecahedron: A Gallo-Roman UFO discovered in Norton Disney, England
⋙ What did wine taste like 2000 years ago? The secrets of Roman winemaking revealed by a study
⋙ An extremely rare piece of Roman armor, inspired by gladiators, recreated 1800 years later
