Evidence of Amputation Shows Advanced Medical Expertise

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Evidence of Amputation from 31,000 Years Ago Shows Medical Expertise in Prehistoric Times

https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/evidence-of-amputation-from-31000-years-ago-patient-survival-for-a-decade-shows-advanced-medical-expertise-in-prehistoric-times/

It's amazing!

I don't even know how to amputate a limb.

Expertise?  What expertise?

Chop off foot.  Cauterize wound.  Wrap in clean bandages (i.e., woven plant fibers, animal skins, et cetera).  Change bandages daily.  Give the patient a peg-leg or crutch when he is well enough to stand.  No need for a medical degree or alien intervention.

You can skip the first step if the foot was bitten off by a wild animal.

It would be tricky without a saw, as disarticulation of some of the joints can be difficult, but as long as you have a way to staunch the bleeding it isn't that complicated.

It's amazing that something like that could be done that long ago.

That simple process does require some level of advanced medical knowledge.. heck, modern surgeons didn't even realize the importance of washing their hands before buddy in my avatar literally went nuts trying to explain it to them.

For the adolescent to have survived it means the amputation needed to be more than hacking with flint stones. It suggests both more sophisticated knowledge of cutting/slicing technology, careful pre-post operation techniques and community care for the adolescent. Not bad for primitive hunter gatherers