Ancient Woman Survived Jaw Surgery 2,500 Years Ago, Archaeologists Reveal

Archaeologists have uncovered evidence of an advanced surgical procedure performed over 2,500 years ago. A woman from the ancient Pazyryk culture in Central Asia underwent a primitive prosthetic surgery to repair her shattered jawbone. Remarkably, she survived the operation and lived for months afterward, as bone healing and tooth wear confirm.

The woman's right mandible was severely damaged, with her temporomandibular joint destroyed and her lateral ligament torn. To stabilise the injury, two narrow canals were drilled into her jawbone. An elastic material—likely horsehair or animal tendon—was then threaded through these holes, acting as a makeshift prosthetic to hold the broken pieces together.

Her survival is clear from the healed bone tissue around the drilled canals. The extensive wear on the molars of her uninjured left side also suggests she continued chewing food long after the surgery. This discovery adds to a growing body of evidence showing the Pazyryk people's medical expertise.

Since the first Pazyryk burial was found on the Ukok Plateau in 1949, further excavations have revealed other medical interventions. Skulls from Pazyryk 2 and 5 show healed trepanation holes, dated to the 5th–3rd century BCE. The famous 'Ice Princess' of Ukok, discovered in 1993, bore tattoos that may have had therapeutic meaning. Pazyryk 3 even contained signs of surgical amputations or prosthetics. These findings point to a sophisticated understanding of medicine among Scythian-Siberian cultures, using both herbal remedies and metal tools.

The jawbone woman was buried on a wooden bed, a rare honour that suggests she held a respected place in her community.

The Pazyryk woman's case proves that complex surgical techniques existed far earlier than previously believed. Her successful recovery and the broader medical evidence from other burials highlight the skill of ancient Central Asian healers. These discoveries continue to reshape our understanding of early medical history.