Dragon Hill and the Uffington Chalk Horse, Oxfordshire

Like a boss.

One of my friends over at Lawnchair Anthropology runs a series of posts titled Osteology Everywhere. Being the enormous osteo-nerd that I am, I’ve long admired his ability to find unappreciated glimpses of anatomy in everyday life.  While exploring the famous chalk horse at Uffington on a brief trip to Oxfordshire and Worcestshire, he pointed out a small vale bordering Dragon Hill. Depending on your bent, Dragon Hill is either a natural flat-topped mound or the location where St.George manfully slew the fearsome dragon of Christian mythology.  “Doesn’t that valley look like a _____?”, he asked. It took me a minute, but then I saw it. In the spirit of international academic cooperation, enduring lab-mate solidarity and probably because I was the one who actually took the photo, he agreed to share the post so that I could kick off my own Osteology Everywhere series.

The shape of this valley looks exactly like a…

While not quite as impressive as the massive equid etched in chalk a hilltop over, this is definitely identifiable. What bone is this? Have at it in the comments!

Image Credits: St.George and the Dragon icon found here.