The remains of a young adult buried at Liang Tebo in Indonesian Borneo are about 31,000 years old. Cut marks and healed bone show that the person’s left foot and lower leg were amputated and that they survived another 6–9 years. University of Sydney and Griffith University researchers, with Indonesian and other collaborators, reported the 2022 Nature study—the oldest known evidence of surgical amputation. The authors interpret the recovery as evidence that bleeding and infection were controlled without modern antibiotics and that the person received sustained care, possibly from the wider group. They also suggest medicinal plants may have helped, but no particular plant or treatment was identified. The find extends the known history of surgery to at least 31,000 years ago. 🦴⚰️
31,000-year-old Liang Tebo amputation is the oldest known surgery
Site mentioned
📍 Liang Tebo
Key facts
- The remains of a young adult were recovered from Liang Tebo in East Kalimantan, Indonesian Borneo, and dated to about 31,000 years ago.
- Cut marks and healed, remodeled bone show that the person's left foot and lower leg were amputated and that they survived for another 6–9 years.
- The 2022 Nature study included researchers from the University of Sydney and Griffith University alongside Indonesian and other collaborators.
- The authors infer that bleeding and infection were controlled without modern antibiotics, but the study does not establish exactly how this was achieved.
- The authors suggest locally available medicinal plants may have helped, but no specific antiseptic plant or treatment was identified.
- The recovery is interpreted as evidence of sustained care, potentially from the wider group, rather than proof of a particular nursing regime.
Sources
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
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allthatsinteresting.com
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Surgical amputation of a limb 31000 years ago in Borneoresearchoutput.csu.edu.au
by TR Maloney · 2022 · Cited by 104 — The individual survived the procedure and lived for another 6–9 years, before their remains were intentionally buried in Liang Tebo cave ...
Scientists find evidence of oldest known surgical limb ...abcnews.com
Liang Tebo limestone cave located in East Kalimantan, Borneo, shows that the left foot had been amputated and that the patient had recovered,
Location of Liang Tebo a, Sunda, the continental shelf ...researchgate.net
Limb amputations are one of the earliest documented surgical procedures, with archeological evidence dating from over 31,000 years ago in Borneo [1] . While ...
World's oldest amputation: Foot removed 31000 years ago ...science.org
The find traces to early 2020, when a team of Australian and Indonesian scientists excavated the floor of a cave called Liang Tebo in a remote, ...
Surgical amputation of a limb 31000 years ago in Borneonature.com
by TR Maloney · 2022 · Cited by 104 — The individual survived the procedure and lived for another 6–9 years, before their remains were intentionally buried in Liang Tebo cave, which ...
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