quote:Almost two decades ago, archeologists working in a burial chamber in the Sheikh ´Abd el-Qurna necropolis west of Luxor, Egypt, found something unexpected: An exquisitely crafted prosthetic big toe fitted to the remains of a woman believed to be the daughter of a high status ancient Egyptian priest.
As George Dvorsky at Gizmodo reports, the faux-toe, known as the Cairo Toe or the Greville Chester Great Toe is roughly 3,000 years old, and is likely the earliest practical prosthesis ever discovered. Now, a detailed study of the digit has unlocked new secrets about the Cairo Toe.
Researchers took a closer look at the toe using modern microscopy, X-ray technology, and computer tomography. Their 3D scans of the toe, which are not yet published, identified the materials the prosthesis was made from and how it was crafted. The most interesting finding, however, was that the toe was refitted several times to exactly match the woman’s foot.
“The [toe] testifies to the skills of an artisan who was very familiar with the human physiognomy,” according to a press release from the University of Basel in Switzerland. “The technical know-how can be seen particularly well in the mobility of the prosthetic extension and the robust structure of the belt strap. The fact that the prosthesis was made in such a laborious and meticulous manner indicates that the owner valued a natural look, aesthetics and wearing comfort and that she was able to count on highly qualified specialists to provide this.”
...
The Toe's Tomb is one of many burial chambers in the area believed to be reserved for high-status Egyptians associated with the pharoah, like the priest and his daughter. As the BBC reports, she likely died between the ages of 50 and 60 and suffered a toe amputation sometime in her past that had time to completely heal before her death.
“It’s always been an issue and there’s never a single answer...Every era and culture has different definition of what they consider body integrity what makes you whole," she tells Smithsonian.com. Though many of these early prostheses were likely challenging and uncomfortable to wear, "they prevent people from staring and make the user feel more integrated [into society],” she says.
The Cairo Toe, however, is unlike many other prosthetics from ancient times, Ott explains. Though it beautifully imitates a natural toe, it may have also helped the wearer with balance. Its stitching and mixed leather and wooden construction likely made it much more comfortable than other ancient prosthetics.
An image of the prosthetic toe in question.
By the way, the dark brown coloring of the toe appears to be paint, as mentioned in this earlier article.
Posted by One Third African (Member # 3735) on :
Another example of a prosthetic toe from AE. This one is made from cartonnage rather than wood. Posted by Djehuti (Member # 6698) on :
^ There has been question as to whether such prosthetics were made for ritually aesthetic purposes for the mummy's afterlife or whether they were used by the person during life.
One classicist scholar with an interest in antatomy-- Henriette Willberg-- thinks so in her 'Ancient Anatomies' blog article: These Toes Were Made for Walking.
An X-ray of the mummy found near Luxor showed an intact layer of soft tissue and skin covering the site of amputation by the toe, suggesting it was amputated during the woman’s life. This would make it the oldest known intravital (during the life) limb prosthesis! But that doesn’t help us much when we come to the use of the object itself. On close examination, the wood shows signs of wear and recent research suggests that it was even refitted several times, with two distinct phases identified. The prosthesis displays a remarkable sophistication, with a hinge and three wooden plates, increasing movement and allowing it to mimic the flexing of the joint when walking. The carving is also particularly impressive, displaying convincing anatomy and representation of the human toe. Considering all these aspects together, we can confidently conclude that the prosthesis was used during the individual’s lifetime and, most likely, made to measure to her specific amputation site. The mummy has been identified as Tabaketenaut, the daughter of the wealthy priest for whom the tomb was made. Further guesses have been had as to what might have caused her to lose a toe, among them gangrene resulting from arteriosclerosis, but it’s impossible to know for sure.
Dr Jacqueline Finch, a researcher at the University of Manchester, took this investigation one step further and decided to test the two prosthetics. Replicas were made of both the cartonnage and wooden toes, in keeping with the materials, and two individuals with similar amputation sites tried out the two models. Both volunteers found the wooden prosthesis more comfortable, but both the prosthetic toes performed remarkably well.
And the dark brown paint on the prosthetics is well noted.
