Old Jawbone of an Ass

A weathered, calcified fragment of bone, its ivory surface streaked with dirt and time. The Doctor waves off Romana's dismissal of the object as 'junk' with defensive passion, insisting it belongs to a species long extinct. Its irregular shape and jagged edges mark it as a crude implement, yet the Doctor claims it as a relic of enormous historical value—not for its practical use, but for the echoes of lost civilizations it contains.

2 appearances

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

2 moments

S17E9 · The Creature from the Pit Part 1

Doctor disputes Romana over TARDIS treasures

The jawbone of an ass is treated as absurd by Romana, who questions its value, while the Doctor defends its historical significance with vehemence. It serves as another point of contention illustrating the clash between practical dismissal and archival reverence.

Before: Stored haphazardly among the Doctor’s collection, calcified and dirty.

After: Placed in the Doctor’s coat pocket alongside the ball of string, symbolizing his retention of seemingly worthless items.

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S17E9 · The Creature from the Pit Part 1

K9 confirms usable TARDIS transceiver function

The old jawbone of an ass is pocketed by the Doctor during Romana’s cleaning, defended as a relic of ancient species by the Doctor in dismissive response to her criticism of the junk pile. Like the ball of string, it symbolizes his romantic attachment to seemingly valueless historical artifacts. It has no functional role in the transceiver event.

Before: Located among clutter in Storage Hold Four, inspected and pocketed by the Doctor as he deflects Romana’s commentary.

After: Remains in the Doctor’s coat pocket, unaffected by the TARDIS’s turmoil and unrelated to the crisis.

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