Mummified cats and other concealed ritual objects - Wayne Perkins

Deliberately Concealed Objects & Ritual Deposits in Ancient Buildings

The phenomenon of old leather shoes and boots being deliberately concealed up the chimney, large caches of worn-out clothes and objects discovered within the voids of old buildings, along with mummified cats found between the walls are a range of attested practices acknowledged by archaeologists.

It is now understood that the objects had been inserted by the inhabitants who believed that they were going to act as a prophylactic (a measure taken to fend off disease and general pestilence), bring good luck to the inhabitants, ward off the evil eye or, in some cases, avert the attentions of the witch’s familiar.

It would seem that secrecy and non-disclosure of the concealment had been crucial to their potency.


Speaker Bio

Wayne Perkins is an archaeologist of 23 years with a special interest in apotropaic graffiti, folklore and concealed objects recovered from ancient buildings.


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