This Insane Prosthetic Hand Was Discovered to be More Than 500 Years Old

Amaze Lab

It was discovered in Southern Germany earlier this year, during a routine construction project and experts say it’s from between 1450 and 1620 or around 500 years old. They say it belonged to a man, likely between the ages of 30 and 50, but the hand is raising more questions than answers with regards to his death.

Transcript

00:00you might never guess just by looking at it but this is an ancient prosthetic hand it was discovered

00:08in southern Germany earlier this year during a routine construction project and experts say

00:13it's from between the year 1450 and 1620 or around 500 years old they say it belonged to

00:20a man likely between the ages of 30 and 50 and would have been worn on the left arm and is made

00:24of iron though its historical weight is likely even more significant than its actual heft the

00:30researchers say that unlike today a prosthetic limb back then would have been a serious luxury

00:34item which is why it's surprising that it was found in an unmarked mass grave and while the

00:39hands functionality is much more limited than those made today they could still make life just a little

00:43bit easier for the wearer in some way and according to archaeologists at the Bavarian office for monument

00:48protection they were quite rare they say there have only been around 50 arm or hand prosthetics

00:53ever found from the time period at least in central Europe which is why each one lets them take a rare

00:58gander into the past providing a snapshot of medical history

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