Although pirates and peg legs are inextricably linked, evidence for amputations and artificial body parts date to antiquity. Limbs have been amputated for thousands of years because of injuries received during battle or accidents, as a treatment for a disease or an infection, and even as a punishment. There is osteological evidence for amputations in graves found in France, Israel, and Egypt that date back thousands of years. For as long has humans have had to remove body parts there has been a need for artificial limbs. Prosthetic body parts have been discovered in the tombs of ancient Persia, Rome, and Egypt.

read more Golden Eyes, Bronze Legs, and Wooden Toes: Amputation and Prosthetics in the Ancient World « Strange Remains.