World's Oldest Evidence of Surgical Amputation Lay Hidden For 31,000 Years

[Warpy]

Uncovered in a limestone cave in a remote region of East Kalimantan in Indonesian Borneo, the skeleton was excavated in 2020 by a team of Indonesian and Australian researchers, co-led by archaeologist Tim Maloney of Griffith University.

On closer inspection, they discovered the young individual had had their left foot skillfully removed, probably as a child, at least 31,000 years ago.

Remarkably, it healed well enough for the person to live for another six to nine years before they were interred with their amputated leg outstretched and burial markers atop the grave.

https://www.sciencealert.com/worlds-oldest-evidence-of-surgical-amputation-lay-hidden-for-31000-years

Fascinating article with things even I can recognize, like the oblique cut still used and the fully healed callus on the end. Our primitive ancestors don't look so primitive. They were learned in medicine and likely had a large scale social organization that is completely different from ours.