Historic Prosthetic Hand Discovered in Germany

FREISING, GERMANY—Live Science reports that human remains with a prosthetic left hand featuring four individually formed, immobile fingers have been uncovered in southern Germany. The metal fingers are slightly curved in shape to imitate a hand’s natural resting position, according to Walter Irlinger of the Bavarian State Office for Monument Preservation. The skeleton belonged to a man who died between the ages of 30 and 50, sometime between A.D. 1450 and 1620. The prosthetic had been at least partially covered in leather and attached to the man’s arm with bandages, while bits of gauze on the device show that it may have also been padded to protect the hand stump, Irlinger added. Marks on the man’s hand bones suggest that his four fingers had been amputated, perhaps as a result of the frequent military conflicts that occurred in the region in this period. A thumb bone was found on the corroded metal prosthetic, however. To read about a sixth-century A.D. prosthetic device found in northern Italy, go to "Late Antique TLC."