German Archaeologists Find Medieval Era Skeleton With Iron Prosthetic Hand – News18

In a recent archaeological discovery during pipeline excavation in Freising, Bavaria, Germany, an exciting glimpse into the past has emerged. An ancient skeleton, bearing a prosthetic hand, was unearthed near the Church of St. George, shedding light on the remarkable advancements of the 15th century.

Anthropological analysis and radiocarbon dating have revealed that the individual lived between 1450 and 1620, a period when European physicians began pioneering experiments in the field of prosthetics, particularly for injured soldiers. This remarkable find not only offers a poignant testament to the pursuit of medical innovation in the past but also underscores the enduring human desire to overcome physical limitations.

Speaking on the discovery, the head of the conservation department at the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation, Dr Walter Irlinger said that the hollow hand prosthesis on the left hand added four fingers. The index, middle ring and little fingers are individually formed from sheet metal and don’t have mobility in it. “The finger replicas lie parallel to each other, slightly curved. The prosthesis was probably tied to the stump of the hand with straps,” he added.

In this period, Europe witnessed many military conflicts and a surge in the evolution of prosthetics, driven in part by the need to aid injured soldiers who returned from numerous conflicts.

In the press release, it was mentioned that as a bishop’s ‘see’ and later, as an imperial-free corporate state, Freising gained huge influence in the Middle Ages. On several occasions, the city was the scene of military offensives, including the Thirty Years’ War which was also one of the longest and most destructive wars in European history.

In Central Europe, there are around 50 known prosthetic devices from the late Middle Ages and early modern period. These prosthetics are varied in different forms encompassing both basic, non-articulated models and more complex ones with mechanical components.