What are the knowledge points of bronzes and Oracle Bone Inscriptions?

Bronzes were called "gold" or "auspicious gold" in ancient times. It is an alloy of copper and other chemical elements such as tin and lead. The bronze that has just been cast is golden, but it is called bronze because the unearthed bronze has become turquoise after corrosion due to time loss.

The use of bronzes began in Turkey and Iraq in the late Neolithic period, and bronze beads were unearthed at TellRamad site in ancient Syria. Chinese bronzes started from Majiayao to Qin and Han Dynasties, and the wares of Shang and Zhou Dynasties were the most exquisite. Appeared in the early Yangshao culture and Majiayao culture in China.

Oracle Bone Inscriptions is an ancient script in China, also known as Wen Qi, Oracle Bone Inscriptions, Yin Ruins or tortoise shell and animal bones. It is the earliest mature Chinese character we can see, mainly referring to the characters carved on tortoise shells or animal bones by the royal family in the late Shang Dynasty in China. It is the earliest known written carrier of Shang Dynasty in China and East Asia.

brief introduction

Gadgets or decorations first appeared in China. There were bronze containers and weapons in the Xia Dynasty. In the middle of Shang Dynasty, the varieties of bronzes were very rich, with inscriptions and exquisite patterns. From the late Shang Dynasty to the early Western Zhou Dynasty, it was the heyday of bronze ware development, with diverse shapes, rich inscriptions and rich patterns.

Subsequently, the bronze matrix began to thin, and the decorative pattern gradually simplified. From the late Spring and Autumn Period to the Warring States Period, due to the popularization and use of iron tools, copper tools became less and less. During the Qin and Han Dynasties, with pottery and lacquerware entering daily life, the variety of copper containers decreased, the decoration was simple, mostly plain, and the carcass was light.