Object

Indiana Jones' Improvised Bone Torch

Indiana Jones fashions this crude torch in the petroleum-soaked catacombs beneath Venice by combining a bone shaft (yanked from skeletal remains) with cloth rags (torn from decomposed skeletons). He dips the cloth-wrapped bone into flammable liquid, ignites it, and uses the sputtering flame to illuminate dark, rat-choked passages. The torch serves as both a light source and a tool for navigation, revealing etched symbols and looming threats as Indy and Elsa Schneider traverse crumbling tunnels toward a knight's burial chamber. The torch's flame battles thinning air and rising water, repelling rats and marking their path until pursuers ignite the oil behind them, forcing a desperate escape.

4 appearances

Purpose

Illumination for navigating dark, flooded catacombs

Significance

Demonstrates Indy's resourcefulness in turning skeletal remains into a survival tool, enabling escape through rat-infested tunnels and discovery of the Grail-marked shield amid escalating pursuit by Kazim and his men

Appearances in the Narrative

When this object appears and how it's used

4 moments

S1E3 · INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE

The Ark’s Omen and the Inferno of Rats: A Descent into Fire and Fear

Indy’s cloth-wrapped bone torch is a brilliant improvisation, fashioned from decomposed skeleton remains and petroleum-soaked cloth. It cuts through the pitch-black catacombs, its sputtering flame revealing the rat-infested water, the knight’s coffin, and the Grail marker shield. The torch’s primitive construction—bone as a shaft, cloth as a wick—mirrors the Grail quest’s raw, survivalist nature: scholarship and brutality intertwined. When the fire erupts, the torch is extinguished, but its brief light guides them to the shield—a fleeting triumph before the desperate escape. The torch symbolizes Indy’s adaptability: in a world of ancient relics and modern threats, he repurposes the past (skeletons) to navigate the present (the catacombs)**.

Before: Freshly crafted from a skeleton’s bone and cloth, dipped in petroleum, and lit by Indy’s lighter. Its flame is weak but vital, piercing the darkness of the rat-choked tunnels.

After: Extinguished by the fireball—the torch burns out, its purpose fulfilled in guiding them to the shield. The bone and cloth are consumed, leaving behind only the memory of its light in the smoke-filled chamber.

View full event

S1E3 · INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE

The Rat Passage Trial: Fire, Faith, and the Shield of the Grail

The cloth-wrapped bone torch is crafted by Indy from skeletal remains and petroleum, serving as their primary light source in the pitch-black catacombs. It illuminates the path through the rat-infested water, reveals the Grail symbols on the knight’s coffin, and is later relit by Indy to guide their escape. The torch is a testament to Indy’s resourcefulness, turning macabre materials into a tool for survival and discovery.

Before: Non-existent; crafted ad-hoc from skeletal remains and petroleum during the event.

After: Used to light the way, relit amid the fire and rats, and ultimately discarded or extinguished during the underwater escape.

View full event

S1E3 · INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE

The Knight’s Shield and the Fire’s Wrath: Discovery and Desperation in the Catacombs

The crude torch, fashioned by Indy from a piece of cloth torn from a skeleton and a bone shaft, is dipped into the oil-slick water and ignited to light their path through the catacombs. It provides crucial illumination as they navigate the flooded burial chamber and inspect the knight’s coffin. The torch’s flame is extinguished during the fire ambush, but its role in revealing the shield and guiding their exploration is pivotal.

Before: Non-existent; crafted by Indy during the event.

After: Extinguished and submerged in the water, no longer functional.

View full event

S1E3 · INDIANA JONES AND THE LAST CRUSADE

The Catacombs' Inferno: Fire, Rats, and the Grail's Mark

Indy fashions this crude torch from rags torn from decomposed skeletons and a bone shaft, dipping it into the oil-slicked water to ignite it. It serves as their only light source in the pitch-black catacombs, guiding them through rat-infested passages and illuminating the knight’s coffin. When Kazim ignites the oil, the torch is abandoned as Indy and Elsa dive for cover, but its flame foreshadows the impending firestorm.

Before: Nonexistent (created ad-hoc by Indy from skeleton remains).

After: Extinguished and discarded as Indy and Elsa take cover under the coffin.

View full event