Two false toes, dating back to ancient Egypt,
are believed to be the world's earliest-known prosthetic devices. Both
are big toes from the right foot, and both were found near present-day
Luxor. One toe, found in the 19th century, is thought
to have been made in about 600 BC. It is crafted from one piece of
cartonnage - a linen and animal glue version of papier-mache. The other
toe dates back to between 950 and 710 BC. It was found attached to the
foot of a mummy in a tomb just over ten years ago. This toe is
comprised of three pieces, two are wood, the other possibly leather. It
had been suggested that because ancient Egyptians believed the body
should be prepared for the afterlife in a complete state, the toes were
purely decorative. But new research by Dr. Jacky Finch at the KHN
Centre for Biomedical Egyptology at the University of Manchester,
England, proves otherwise. The toes were recreated to fit amputee
volunteers and tested for flex, pressure, gait …