In the suburban area of Turpan in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, China, archaeologists claim to have discovered a prosthetic leg in an ancient tomb. The archaeologists confirmed that it is the oldest prosthetic leg in human history, dating back some 2,300 years, according to a report from CRI English.
Discovered in a group of 31 tombs alongside other wooden tools and the prosthetic wearer’s skeleton, the artificial leg was a wooden structure 90.2mm in height with a line of holes in the upper and lower halves and a polished chunk of wood in the middle for the joint. The limb was fastened in place by leather strings that went through the holes in the upper and lower halves, making it relatively adjustable.
