In 2002, members of the Egyptian-German mission working in the Qurna area of the Theban West Bank made the discovery. It was made in the accumulated debris in the rock cut shaft of the New Kingdom tomb of Mery, a priest of Amun in the reign of Amenothep II. However, the tomb was reused for the burial of nobles of the late Twentieth and early Twenty-first Dynasties and the opinion at the time-as reported in Al Ahram issue 599,-was that the artificial toe belonged to a high ranking Theban lady of that period.I consider that the lady did walk with this prosthesis in place, which resulted in the wear marks to the plantar surface of the prosthesis. But, without functionality to aid her walking, I believe the cosmetic qualities of were the prime commodity addressing her psychosocial needs and the religious burial requirements that were expected during her lifetime.
This find was investigated by Professor Andreas Nerlich and published in the Lancet(2000;356:2176-79. Who found the well preserved mummy of a woman, though broken into several parts her age and sex were identifiable.They discovered the toe had been amputated during her lifetime.Concluded from the covering of tissue over the wound site.
ReplyDeleteDiagnostic imaging showed deminiralisation of the first metertasalphalageal joint,with osteophytic deposit at the distal aspect.
CT's of the arteries produced evidence for arteriosclerosis,mild osteopenia and the possibility that she was a diabetic.
The functionality of the prosthesis is still under investigation by Jackie Finch and her research team at the KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology.
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