Rare Medieval false LEG found buried under Gloucestershire Cathedral
ARCHAEOLOGISTS have discovered this rare Medieval false LEG buried under a cathedral.
A rare Medieval false leg was found buried under Gloucestershire Cathedral
The remains of the metal band were discovered in the old lay cemetery at Gloucestershire Cathedral and experts reckon it used to hold a prosthetic right leg.
The pieces - including a metal buckle and a fragment of the strap - were unearthed in the dig south-east of the building's South Porch.
It was found during an excavation carried out ahead of a redevelopment of parts of the cathedral.
Experts reckon the leg replacement is from the 17th century, making it at least 300 years old.
The remains of the metal band were discovered in the old lay cemetery at Gloucestershire Cathedral
It makes you think about the struggles disabled people of the time would have faced
Andrew Tizzard, a director at Border Archaeology, the team behind the dig, said: "It is really quite unusual.
"I have only ever seen one similar item in my career, and that was in London in the 80s.
"It makes you think about the struggles disabled people of the time would have faced."
Experts reckon it used to hold a prosthetic right leg
Cathedral spokeswoman Helen Jeffrey added: "We are astonished they found it, it was clogged in mud and looked like little pieces of stones.
"We expected to find some burial sites and skeletons as it used to be a lay cemetery and these little pieces of iron were found in a grave with a skeleton.
Experts reckon the leg replacement is from the 17th century, making it at least 300 years old
"It was just a real puzzler and we had it taken away to be analysed - something similar is on display in London."
The object is expected to go on display at the cathedral in the future, after it has been further analysed by experts.