World's Earliest Prosthetics Discovered, From 600 BC
Monday, February 14, 2011 - 09:50
in Paleontology & Archaeology
An artificial big toe found attached to the foot of an ancient Egyptian mummy is the world's oldest artificial prosthetic. At least for now. It predates the previous earliest known practical prosthesis , the Roman Capula Leg, by several hundred years. It wasn't simply cosmetic. The two toes, a three-part wood and leather artifact housed in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo, and the Greville Chester artificial toe on display in the British Museum, also helped their toeless owners walk like Egyptians. read more