![]() The bone looked different to what you'd expect if the foot and leg were bitten off, or crushed under a rock, Dr Maloney said. Those healed sections suggested the leg was lopped off maybe six to eight years before the individual died, which meant they were a child or young teenager when it happened. The ends of the left lower leg bones, the tibia and fibula, looked like they were cut with something sharp, but had healed well. The pelvis, legs and remaining foot from the earliest-known amputation patient. "Not only of the operation itself and negotiating the complexities of removing the lower left of a child, but there's a very strong case for understanding the need for antiseptic and antimicrobial management to enable the patient, this individual, to survive." Tim Maloney, an archaeologist from Griffith University and study co-author, said the successful amputation strongly suggests early societies, at least those in Borneo, understood advanced medical concepts. Their skeleton was unveiled in the journal Nature today. ![]() What's more, the person found in the Borneo cave not only survived the operation, but lived up to a decade afterwards too. The remains were dated to around 31,000 years old - more than 20,000 years earlier than the previous oldest limb amputation, which was the French discovery of a man who had his left forearm removed 7,000 years ago. The hunter-gatherer's skeleton was missing the lower third of their left leg, which appeared to be chopped off by a sharp stone tool when they were a child.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |