Rib Bone Mudlarked Pendant

Historical Information

Type: Animal Rib Bone
Material: Bone
Date: Estimated 19th Century
Find Location: Essex, UK

Extra Information:

Throughout history, horse and cattle bones have held powerful symbolic and practical roles in magic, divination, and ritual practices across many cultures. Their natural associations with strength, endurance, and fertility made them potent tools in spiritual and folk traditions.

In ancient divination practices such as osteomancy and scapulimancy, people interpreted cracks in heated cattle scapulae or cast knucklebones to predict the future. In European folk magic, horse skulls were sometimes hidden within the walls or beneath the floors of buildings to guard against misfortune, while cattle bones were ground into powders or carved into charms believed to attract wealth and fertility.

Shamans used bones to communicate with spirits and ancestors, believing they carried the essence and power of the animal itself. In certain necromantic traditions, horse skulls were employed in spirit work or as guides in rituals. Knucklebones—often taken from cattle or sheep—were also used in games of chance, which carried divinatory meaning as well as entertainment value.

Whether for fortune-telling, protection, fertility, or spiritual communication, horse and cattle bones have remained deeply embedded in magical traditions across time and cultures.

The findings and chain are crafted from stainless steel, while the bone has been carefully coated in resin to ensure both protection and long-term preservation.