Probably the oldest European foot prosthetic, dated to 6th century AD, was found in Austria by archaeologists from the Austrian Archaeological Institute. The discovery was made in the grave of a man missing his left foot and ankle at Hemmaberg, southern Austria. At the end of his leg was an iron ring and remnants of a clump of wood and leather.

The skeleton of what appears to have been a high-ranking Frankish figure was discovered in 2013.  The site in Hemmaberg was the most important Christian pilgrimage site north of the Alps, containing six churches, until pagan Slavs arrived in the seventh century.

(after The Guardian)