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Food preservation -

Humans living in the Qesem cave in Israel (pictured) 400,000 years ago used bones as a food preservation method.

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Food preservation -

In 2019, researchers at Tel Aviv University discovered that these early humans wrapped fragments of deer bones with skin as a method to store the marrow. This proves that early humans had a sophisticated method of preserving food and didn’t just rely on what was available at the moment.

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Medicine -

In China, ancient “dragon bones” were used to make medicine. It turns out these “dragons” were actually dinosaur fossils.

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Medicine -

“The calcium-rich bones were sometimes boiled with other ingredients and fed to children to treat dizziness and leg cramps. Other times they were ground up and turned into a paste applied directly to fractures and other injuries,” explains scientist Dong Zhiming.

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Medicine -

Sadly, this means that a number of fossils were destroyed. Though identifying the areas where these “dragon bones” were dug out did help recover more fossils. As for the medicinal benefit of consuming these, it is yet to be proven.

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Buttons -

Buttons are a popular object made with bones. Some of these, dating all the way back to 2000 BCE, have been unearthed at archaeological sites.

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Buttons -

These objects had both functional and decorative purposes. Cattle shin bones were often used for their strength and durability.

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Glue -

Bone glue is made by grinding animal bones into powder, then dissolving the powder in water. The solution is then evaporated and dried into a hard jelly.

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Glue -

Bone glue is traditionally used in woodwork and it was very popular among furniture makers in the 19th century. It saw a revival during the Second World War, as seen in this British poster.

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Musical Instruments -

Fragments of ancient flutes were unearthed in the archaeological sites of Hohle Fels and Geissenklösterle in Germany. The famous Hohle Fels flute dates back 4,000 years.

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Musical Instruments -

Ancient flutes made from swan wing bones, dating back 30,000 years, were found in Isturitz, France.

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Musical Instruments -

Jawbone is a percussion instrument used in some Latin American countries. It’s made from the jawbone of an equine such as a donkey or horse.

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Musical Instruments -

Guitar bone nuts and saddles are still used in acoustic guitars to this day. The use of bone (instead of plastic, for example) influences a guitar’s tone and its capacity to stay in tune.

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Weapons -

Humans have been using bones as weapons for millennia. An example would be daggers made using pieces of bone.

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Weapons -

The Clovis people in prehistoric North America are known to have crafted pointed projectiles.

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Weapons -

The Apaches used the jawbones of animals such as horses, elk, bears, and bison to fashion clubs.

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Housing -

Bones and tusks from wooly mammoths were used in the Upper Paleolithic period in Europe to build shelters.

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Housing -

In South America, early humans would use the shells of glyptodons (massive armadillos) instead.

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Religious sites -

There are a number of religious sites covered in bones. And we’re talking about human bones here. Europe, in particular, has many you can visit. Pictured is Hallstatt Charnel House in Austria.

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Food -

Bones have been part of our diets for a very long time. Bone marrow, in particular, is very rich in nutrients, and considered a delicacy in many culinary traditions.

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Food -

In the Indian subcontinent, dishes such as nihari (a curry) makes use of beef or lamb shanks and bone marrow.

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Food -

Other examples include the French pot-au-feu broth. Abgoosht, or dizi, is an Iranian stew that also makes use of bone marrow.

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Fertilizer -

Bone meal (ground animal bones) is rich in calcium and phosphorus, so it became a popular fertilizer in the mid-1800s.

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Fertilizer -

Bone meal, however, can also contain high levels of lead and even mercury. Nonetheless, it’s still used to this day as a fertilizer.

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Fortune telling -

Bones have been used in divination in many cultures for thousands of years. In ancient China, for instance, the bones of turtles, oxen, and water buffalo were used to predict the future. These are known as oracle bones.

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Fortune telling -

Scapulimancy (divination using scapulae or speal bones) was also practiced in other cultures, including in Africa, Europe, and North America.

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Bone china -

Porcelain’s composition is 100% mineral. Bone china, on the other hand, also includes bone ash as part of the mix.

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Bone china -

English potters developed it in the 1700s, and for many years it was exclusively produced in the UK. Currently, bone china is made in countries such as India, Bangladesh, Thailand, and China.

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Traditions -

The tradition of two people snapping a chicken wishbone apart while making a wish is believed to date back over 2,400 years, all the way back to the Etruscan civilization.

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Gelatin -

Gelatin is a byproduct of bones, which has been used in cooking for centuries. And it’s not going anywhere!

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Farming tools -

The Cherokee were known to use shoulder blades from large animals to make shovels.

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Farming tools -

In China, shovels were fashioned from oxen or pig bones.

Sources: (NBC News) (Listverse) (Popular Science) (Science Focus) (Farm Progress) (Vice)

See also: Fascinating facts about bone marrow

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