A sixth-century Lombard warrior buried in northern Italy appears to have worn a prosthetic weapon. A knife and buckle were discovered along with evidence that his forearm had been amputated. The stump was positioned across his chest and researchers identified a callus and bone spurs consistent with pressure from a prosthetic device. Significant wear on his teeth suggests he used them to tighten its straps. According to Ileana Micarelli of the Sapienza University of Rome, the man, possibly a combatant in the A.D. 568 Lombard invasion of Italy, was well cared for following the operation. “The strength of his relationship with the community is at the heart of the surgical intervention’s success,” she says. “And in my opinion, social relations are as important as the level of medical technology.”
Late Antique TLC
SHARE:
Recommended Articles
Artifacts July/August 2024
Etruscan Oil Lamp
(Courtesy Museo dell’Accademia Etrusca e della Città di Cortona; © DeA Picture Library/Art Resource, NY)
Digs & Discoveries May/June 2024
Pompeian Politics
Letter from Vesuvius September/October 2023
Digging on the Dark Side of the Volcano
Survivors of the infamous disaster rebuilt their lives on the ashes of the A.D. 79 eruption
(Courtesy Girolamo Ferdinando De Simone)
(Adobe Stock, Alamy Stock Photo)
-
Features July/August 2018
The City at the Beginning of the World
The only Maya city with an urban grid may embody a creation myth
(Courtesy Timothy Pugh/Itza Archaeological Project) -
Letter from England July/August 2018
Inside the Anarchy
Archaeologists explore the landscape of England’s first civil war
(Kate Ravilious) -
Artifacts July/August 2018
Roman Boxing Gloves
(Courtesy Vindolanda Trust) -
Digs & Discoveries July/August 2018
Sun Storm
(Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty Images)