In Germany, archaeologists discover an ancient skeleton with a prosthetic hand dating back centuries.

Archaeologists in Germany have unearthed a centuries-old skeleton containing a metal prosthetic hand that was crafted to replace four missing fingers. According to the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation, carbon dating suggests the man lived and died sometime between 1450 and 1620, placing the age of the prosthetic hand at potentially close to 600 years old. The man’s left hand showed signs of amputation, and the prosthetic hand was encased in a hollowed-out iron and metal structure, highlighting the advanced medical practices of that era, as per archaeologists’ findings.

According to Walter Irlinger, chief of the Bavarian ancient monument protection department, “the hollow hand prosthesis on the left hand added four fingers.”

The little, ring, middle, and index fingers are immovable and each made of sheet metal. The finger copies are slightly bent and positioned parallel to one another. “It is likely that the prosthesis was fastened to the stump using straps,” he continued.

Inside the prosthetic hand, a cloth that resembled bandages was discovered, indicating that it served as a cushion for the stump.

Several conflicts took place in Freising in the Middle Ages and during the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648). The statement added that this most likely resulted in more amputations and more prosthesis.

Archaeologists also noted that some fifty comparable prostheses from the same era have been discovered in Central Europe. These prostheses range in sophistication from a sophisticated, moving prosthetic hand famously worn by the knight Götz von Berlichingen after 1530 to an immobile one identical to the one found in Friesing.

Additionally, in 1997 archaeologists in Egypt discovered a prosthetic wooden toe that was even older—3,000 years old.

Archaeologists subsequently determined that the toe, worn by a priest’s daughter, was designed to allow walking while maintaining a natural appearance.