TrepannedPeruvianskull。
AfewyearsagoasepulchrewasopenedatChaclacayo，atthefootofMountChosica，notfarfromLima。Inthistomblaythreemummies，ofaman，awoman，andachild。Nearthemlayahumanskull，havingaboutthemiddleoftheforeheadanopening，measuringsometwoandahalfbytwoinches。Itisofpolygonalform，andeightdifferentincisionscaneasilybemadeout，whichappeartohavebeenmadewithsomenotchedstoneimplement。Onraisingastripofskin，stilladheringtotheskull，therewasseenonthefrontpartofthesagittalsutureaverysmallperforation，theresulteitherofawoundorofanoperationwhichbadtakenplaceduringlife。Ithasbeensuggestedthatthepieceofbonetakenfromtheskullhadbeenusedtomakealanceorarrow-head，whichwassuperstitiouslysupposedbytheownertoensurehisvictory。Thisis，however，ameresuggestion，ofwhichnoproofcanbegiven。
InotherpartyofAmericadiscoverieshavebeenmadeoftrepannedskulls，supposedtodatefromevenmoreremotetimesthanthosewehavejustbeenconsidering。AfewyearsagoProfessorPutnamfound，intheStateofOhio，someoldwellsidledwithcindersandrubbishofallkinds。Fromoneofthem，whichwasdeeperthantheothers，hetookseveralcrania，someofwhichboreevidenttracesoftrepanation。FromamoundnearDallasIllinoisweretakenmorethanonehundredskeletons，allofadults，placedsidebysideinacrouchingattitude。Everyoneofthemhadaroundopeningonthelefttemple，andinsomeofthesewoundstheflintimplementwhichhadproducedthemwasstillimbedded。Itisveryevidentthatwehaveheretokensofsomefunerealrite，themeaningofwhichisuncertain，thoughitwasevidentlypractisedalsoindistrictsveryremotefromIllinois。Tomentionyetotherexamples，theexcavationofatumulusofirregularformnearDevil’sRiverMichiganhasbroughttolightfiveskeletonsburieduright，whilstasixthlayinthecentreofthetumulus，whichwasevidently，ifwemaysoexpressit，theplaceofhonor。Oneachofthesixcraniaaperforationhadbeenmadeafterdeath。
AnumberofcraniaandpartsofcraniaonwhichtrepanationhadbeenperformedhavealsobeentakenfromseveralmoundsonChamber’sIsland，frombeneaththemoundintheneighborhoodoftheSableRiver，nearLakeHuron，andneartheRedRiver[198]GillmanthinksthattheMichigantrepanations，whichbadbeenmadewithclumsytools，weresimplyholesforhangingupskullsastrophies，asisstillcustomaryamongsttheDyaksofBorneo；butthisseemsscarcelyatenablehypothesis，forasaruletheskeletonslyingintheirlasthomearecomplete。Quiterecentlywerediscovered，beneathatumulusnearRockRiver，eightskeletons，theskullofoneofwhichboreacircularperforationmadeduringlife，whichratherupsetsGillman’stheory。
Buttoresumeournarrative。ThetrepanationsreportedfromNorthAmericaaregenerallyposthumous，andwecanprovenothingastotheirorigin。Weretheymarksofhonormadeinsomereligiousrite？Weretheyopeningstoallowthespiritofthedepartedtorevisitthebodyithadabandoned？or，tosuggestafarmoreworldlyandrevoltingmotive，weretheymerelyholesthroughwhichtopickoutthebrainsofthedead。Amissionary，inaletterdatedfromFortPittCanada