Stone Age skeleton missing foot may show oldest amputation

NEW YORK (AP) — A skeleton from 31,000 years ago may be the earliest evidence found of an amputation surgery in humans. According to a study published Wednesday (Sept. 7, 2022) in Nature, the remains show a child from Indonesia who had part of their left leg cut off on purpose. The prehistoric patient recovered from the surgery and lived for at least six more years. The remaining leg bone shows a clean cut, which scientists say means the leg wasn’t bitten off by an animal or crushed in an accident. The study may show that early hunter-gatherers paid more attention to health care than previously thought.