What is the value of Oracle Bone Inscriptions in the history of calligraphy?

Oracle Bone Inscriptions is of great value in the history of calligraphy.

Oracle Bone Inscriptions was discovered by Wang Yu 1899 (the 25th year of Guangxu in Qing Dynasty) on the medicinal materials of the Shang Dynasty written dragon bone unearthed from the site of Yin Ruins in Xiaotun, Anyang, Henan. Because it was carved on the tortoise shell bone with a knife, it was called "Oracle Bone Inscriptions". These characters are directly engraved or written first and then engraved, some are written in ink or ink without engraving, and some are filled with ink and ink after engraving. Words vary in size, the largest is half an inch in diameter, and the smallest is as thin as sesame.

According to archaeologists' research, Oracle Bone Inscriptions recorded the divination words of the emperors of Yin and Shang dynasties about sacrifice, conquest, disease, hunting, meteorology, entry and exit, fertility, employment, age, abundance and sorrow, and so on, so it was also called "Oracle Bone Inscriptions". Because it covers a wide range of social life in Shang Dynasty, it is a valuable material for studying social politics, economy, culture and philology in Shang Dynasty. Oracle Bone Inscriptions is a kind of mature writing, which has been out of primitive ignorance for a long time, and it is also a very important material for us to learn calligraphy.

As far as writing is concerned, Oracle Bone Inscriptions has strict rules. Guo Moruo's article "Dialectical Development of Ancient Chinese Characters" said: "The so-called' Six Books' in later generations can be found in many examples in Oracle Bone Inscriptions. Grammar is the same as later generations. " He added, "Needless to say, Yin replaced a pen. In addition to knives and pens, there are also writing brushes, which can be proved by "Yu" or words with "Yu" as the radical.

Oracle Bone Inscriptions's "Yu" is the same as "painting" and "painting", and the bronze inscription is similar. Yu is an ancient calligraphy, just like handwriting. There should be a long period of writing development from the characters on pottery tablets to Oracle Bone Inscriptions, but there is no way to discuss it because of the lack of physical evidence at present.