German Archaeologists Discover Skeleton from the Middle Ages with Iron Prosthetic Hand
Recently, in Freising, Bavaria, Germany, during pipeline excavation, an intriguing window into the past has been revealed in an archeological find. The discovery of an old skeleton with a prosthetic hand close to the Church of St. George has provided insight into the amazing discoveries made throughout the fifteenth century.
According to anthropological research and radiocarbon dating, the person lived between 1450 and 1620, when European doctors started doing groundbreaking research on prostheses, especially for wounded warriors. This amazing discovery not only provides a moving account of the historical quest for medical progress, but it also emphasizes the universal human urge to transcend physical constraints.
The hollow hand prosthesis on the left hand adds four fingers, according to Dr. Walter Irlinger, director of the conservation department of the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation, who discussed the finding. The little finger, middle ring, and index finger are made of sheet metal separately and are immobile. The finger copies are slightly bent and positioned parallel to one another. He said, “It’s likely that the prosthesis was strapped to the hand stump.”
During this time, Europe saw a number of military wars and a rapid advancement in prosthetics, partly due to the need of providing care for wounded troops returning from these conflicts.
The press announcement said that Freising became very influential in the Middle Ages as a bishop’s “see” and then as an imperial-free corporate state. The city saw many military incursions, most notably the Thirty Years’ War, which was also one of the bloodiest and longest-lasting conflicts in European history.
Approximately fifty prosthetic devices from the late Middle Ages and early modern era are known to exist in Central Europe. These prostheses come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including simpler, non-articulated versions and more intricate ones containing mechanical parts.
