[MR] History Blog: Medieval Prosthetic Hand

[Garth Groff and Sally Sanford]

Noble Friends,

Today the History Blog features a report on an iron prosthetic hand found
with a skeleton excavated in Bavaria during 2017. Analysis and conservation
of the rather rusted appendage has just been completed.

The owner is thought to have lost his appendage in battle. The replacement
had fixed fingers, but the wearer's real still-attached thumb was found
inside the device, suggesting that it served as an attachment point.

The blog author, Livius, mentions that only about 50 such prosthetics are
known from across medieval Europe. Even a non-articulated device like this
one was a very expensive item.

The story is at https://www.thehistoryblog.com/archives/68609 .

Yours Aye,


Mungo Napier, Laird of Mallard Lodge  🦆