Ancient Egyptian prosthesis of the big toe

We describe possibly the oldest known intravital limb prosthesis. Up to now, several investigators have reported prosthetic replacements of limbs in ancient Egyptian mummies. However, their findings suggest that the replacements were made to prepare the mummy for its afterlife. For example, a previously found forearm prosthesis of an elderly man from the Ptolemeic period (332-30 BC) revealed attempts by embalmers to complete the mummy for the afterlife.9 Gray10 has detailed further similar prosthetic replacements of limbs. Similarly, a wooden prosthesis of the nose of a male mummy from the Roman period (about 1st century AD)11 is believed to have been added after death to restore the mummy's external integrity, and not for aesthetic reasons during life, since it was attached to the mummy by a delicate rope turned around the skull and fixed tightly to the mandibula.11 There is also a debate about two dental prostheses found several years ago near Cairo (Saqqara, 4th dynasty, and EI-Qatta, Ptolemeic period).12,13 The teeth were initially interpreted as intravitally used dental prostheses, however, the absence of dental wear and dental calculus on the teeth argues against use in life.14