Scapulimancy (also spelled
scapulomancy and
scapulamancy, also termed
omoplatoscopy) is the practice of
divination by use of
scapulae (shoulder blades). In the context of the
oracle bones of ancient
China, which chiefly utilized both scapulae and the
plastrons of turtle,
scapulimancy is sometimes used in a very broad sense to jointly refer to both scapulimancy and
plastromancy (similar divination using plastrons). However, the term
osteomancy might be more appropriate, referring to divination using
bones. Many archaeological sites along the south coast and offlying islands of the
Korean peninsula show that deer and pig scapulae were used in divination during the
Korean Protohistoric Period, c. 300 BC - AD 300/400.