Trepanation

Trepanation, from the Greek trypanon ("a borer"), is the act of drilling or scraping a hole into the human skull, exposing the dura mater (the outermost of the meninges surrounding the brain). It is one of the oldest forms of medical intervention known today.

Articles

 * "I Drilled a Hole in My Head..." (KookScience.com)
 * Christopher Turner, "Like a Hole in the Head" (Cabinet Magazine #28, “Bones”, Winter 2007-08)
 * Jon Bowen, "The Hole Story" (Salon, April 29, 1999)

Audio & Video

 * Kisi medicine man performing the "operation of the skulls" (from "A Hole in the Head", 1998)