00:03you might never guess just by looking at it but this is an ancient prosthetic hand it was
00:08discovered in southern Germany earlier this year during a routine construction project and experts
00:13say it's from between the year 1450 and 1620 or around 500 years old they say it belonged to a
00:20man likely between the ages of 30 and 50 and would have been worn on the left arm and is
00:24made of iron
00:25though its historical weight is likely even more significant than its actual heft the researchers
00:30say that unlike today a prosthetic limb back then would have been a serious luxury item which is why
00:35it's surprising that it was found in an unmarked mass grave and while the hands functionality is
00:40much more limited than those made today they could still make life just a little bit easier for the
00:44wearer in some way and according to archaeologists at the Bavarian office for monument protection
00:49they were quite rare they say there have only been around 50 arm or hand prosthetics ever found from
00:54the time period at least in central europe which is why each one lets them take a rare gander into
00:59the past providing a snapshot of medical history
Comments