Brief introduction of Oracle Bone Inscriptions

Oracle bones (also called keel) were divined in Shang Dynasty in China (about 1000-46 BC), using the shoulder blades of cattle or turtles (flat, under the turtle shell). The symbols carved on bones eventually became characters and accepted China characters, and this practice developed.

Fortune tellers will carve (later draw) symbols on the bones or tortoise shells of cattle, heat them with hot pot or fire until the bones or tortoise shells break, and then explain the direction of cracks through their pictures to predict the future. Most of the Oracle Bone Inscriptions discovered came from the Shang Dynasty, but some came from the early Zhou Dynasty (BC 1046-226). Predicting the future through Oracle bones is called scapulohumeral surgery (predicting the future through the scapula and scapula of animals), plastic surgery (using the abdominal armor of turtles) or fire surgery (using fire). These methods declined with Zhouyi, a fortune-telling manual using divination and yarrow.

Oracle bones continued to be used in later dynasties, but not as frequently as in Shang Dynasty. These bones are important raw materials for the history of Shang Dynasty and gave birth to China characters. Historian Harold M Tanner wrote: "Oracle Bone Inscriptions is the earliest written record of China civilization. Inscriptions provide us with highly selective pictures of some concerns and events related to business elites. These records can be traced back to King Wuding (40) in the late Shang Dynasty. " Although everyone is interested in the future, the problem of the affluent class in China accounts for most of the inscription. This may be because they have the ability to consult psychologists more frequently than the poor.

The use of Oracle Bone Inscriptions

The desire for the future has always been the same in human history, and the people of China in Shang Dynasty are no different from those of today in this respect. Fortune-telling in Shang Dynasty was regarded as an important resource for decision-making. Everyone from farmers to kings consulted these "psychics". These diviners are considered to be related to the spiritual world of their ancestors. They live with God and know the future. These souls will communicate with psychics through Oracle Bone Inscriptions. Every fortune teller has his or her professional field (love, money, work, etc.). ), but you can answer questions on any topic.

Fortune tellers either take their own bones and shells (and prepare them) or buy them from a businessman. They will scrape them clean. The bones/shells are then kept in the fortune teller's shop. If someone wants to know whether they should take their cows to the market or visit their friends on a certain date, they will visit a fortune teller who can predict how their plan will be implemented.

Fortune tellers either take their own bones and shells (and prepare them) or buy them from a businessman. They will scrape them clean.

This person will ask the fortune teller a question, such as "Should I take my cow to the market next month?" Fortune tellers will carve symbols of people, cows, next month or even next month on turtle shells or bones. Drill a hole in an object, stir a fire stick with heat, or put a shell/bone by the fire until it breaks. If the crack develops in one direction, it means that this person should take animals to the market. If it goes in another direction, they should wait.

People rely on these fortune tellers to help them make choices in life, from matchmaking to having children, to travel and financial decisions, and even to waging war. At that time, people consulted fortune tellers in the same way as they look up their horoscopes in modern newspapers or on the Internet today, in order to understand the situation of the day. The bones are engraved with symbols of "good days" and "bad days". One can consult a fortune teller in the morning to see which day is in front of them. The Oracle Bone Inscriptions discovered so far can be traced back to BC. BC 1250- 1046, and provided all kinds of important information about Shang Dynasty.

Oracle Bone Inscriptions's discovery

Shang Dynasty was replaced by Zhou Dynasty, which still used Oracle Bone Inscriptions, but mainly relied on the Book of Changes and other methods to predict the future. Anyang, the capital of Shang Dynasty, was restored in Zhou Dynasty, but the bone workshops and divination sites were ignored.

1899, imperial academy minister Wang (1845- 1900) contracted malaria. He asked his doctor for medicine and was sent to a pharmacist to buy the most famous medicine: keel. This medicine should be made of Gu Longgu, which has mysterious characteristics of treating diseases. Shang dynasty took a dose of keel, just like taking aspirin or prescription drugs today. Pharmacists, doctors and suppliers all make money from this medicine and always grind it into powder for patients to eat.

But when Wang got the keel, it was not crushed. On the night of this incident, a friend of his named Liu E (A.D. 1857- 1909) visited, and he examined the dragon bones with him. They are all interested in ancient philology (the study of ancient characters) and notice that these bones seem to be covered by ancient China characters.

Wang He and Liu E went to ask the pharmacist where they got these bones, but the man didn't tell them. However, he agreed to sell them all the unworn bones in his shop, and Wang and Liu told others what they found. Scholars soon became interested in finding out the source of these bones, but pharmacists and bone dealers did not intend to tell them. They make too much money from drugs.

Wang died in a.d. 1900 (he committed suicide because he participated in the boxer uprising), and the source of this bone has never been found. Liu Ye never discovered the origin of these Oracle bones, but published the first book on Oracle bones in 1903. Liu Ye suffered from his participation in the Boxer Rebellion and went into exile in A.D. 1909.

1908 Luo Zhenyu, the chief executive, scholar and linguist (1866 turn 1940 CE) finally found the area where the bones came from outside and came to Anyang. He went there and found thousands of bones engraved with inscriptions. Farmers in this area told him that these bones and shells were dug up and their inscriptions were scraped off, so they looked like dragon bones and then sold to bone dealers and pharmacists. Luo Zhenyu published his findings and translated the Oracle Bone Inscriptions he discovered. More and more scholars are interested in this, and farmers have sold the "keel" to collectors, scholars, museums and universities.

The importance of Oracle Bone Inscriptions

Oracle Bone Inscriptions is an important discovery about China's writing and history. Inscriptions are early Chinese characters, which can be regarded as written language. These inscriptions are priceless to historians because they record people's questions and answers to life, especially the questions and activities of the king.

The king finally became a "fortune teller", reading the information of the soul through the cracks in the bones. Oracle Bone Inscriptions recorded the rule of kings in the late Shang Dynasty, the questions raised, the answers obtained and even the results of events. If the king wants to know whether he should increase taxes, Oracle Bone Inscriptions will record the question, what is the answer, whether the king has adopted the suggestion, and what is the result. Oracle Bone Inscriptions is the main source of Shang Dynasty history, because fortune tellers carefully recorded everything related to people.

Each question is recorded in four steps:

Foreword-the date when the question was asked, the name of the soothsayer, and sometimes the name of the questioner (for example, Emily's soothsayer and Kyle asked in February 16).

Charge-the subject of the problem (such as finance) and the specific problem (such as whether I should market my cattle/whether I should market my cattle).

Prophecy-the answer to the question provided by the gods and explained by cracks in shells or bones (for example, the gods say yes, you should take the cows to the market).

Verification-whether the forecast is true or not, and what happened to the person who asked the question (for example, Kyle listened to the forecast and brought the cow to the market and made a lot of money).

Every step is carefully recorded, so that scholars can verify that the story previously thought to be about the myth of Shang Dynasty is actually true. China writers in later generations (especially before the Tang Dynasty) called Shang Dynasty the golden age, and Oracle Bone Inscriptions showed that they had every reason to think so.

conclusion

Inscriptions recorded the prosperity of Shang Dynasty and how people spent their time, which confirmed what later historians wrote. Detailed information, such as the time of city establishment, land reclamation, crops planted by enterprises, kinds of animals/articles sold, places visited, trade areas, marriage arrangements, taxes paid, tax increases, non-tax reductions, astronomical events and activities, specific hunting trips of the imperial court, kingdom trips, appointed posts, etc. , are recorded in the Oracle bones.

Although many of these cultural relics were smashed and destroyed and used as placebos called keels, thousands of them were still found, deciphered and preserved. These Oracle Bone Inscriptions tells the stories of people who lived in China more than two thousand years ago. Like all historical relics, they show that these ancient people are no different from people today.