Astragalomancy
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Astragalomancy, also known as astragyromancy, is a form of divination that uses dice especially marked with letters and numbers.
Originally, as with dice games, the "dice" were quadruped knucklebones or other small bones. Marked astragali of sheep and goats are common at Mediterranean and Near Eastern archaeological sites, particularly at funeral and religious locations.[1] For example, marked astragali have been found near the altar of Aphrodite Ourania in Athens, Greece suggesting astragalomancy was performed near the altar after about 500 BC.[2]
Notes and References
- Reece, David S. (2000). "Worked Astragali". Kommos: an excavation on the south coast of Crete volume IV: the Greek sanctuary: 398-401, Princeton: Princeton University Press.
- Reece, David S. (1989). "Faunal remains from the altar of Aphrodite Ourania, Athens". Hesperia 58 (1): 63–70. doi:10.2307/148320.
External links
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "Astragalomancy". Image Credit.
