Oracle Bone Inscriptions related knowledge

The origin of Oracle Bone Inscriptions

Shang rulers are superstitious about whether there will be disasters, whether it will rain, whether there will be a good harvest of crops, whether there will be a victory in the war, what to sacrifice to ghosts and gods, and divination based on fertility, disease, dreaming and other things to understand the will of ghosts and gods and the quality of things. The materials used for divination are mainly tortoise's bellybutton, carapace and cattle's scapula. Small pits are usually dug or drilled on the back of Oracle bones for divination. This kind of pit is called "drilling" by experts in Oracle Bone Inscriptions. During divination, heat is applied to these pits, causing cracks on the surface of Oracle bones. This kind of crack is called "omen" The word "Bu" in Oracle Bone Inscriptions is like a symbol. People engaged in divination judge good or bad according to the various shapes of divination.

Oracle Bone Inscriptions, also known as "Wen Qi", "Oracle Bone Inscriptions" or "Oracle Bone Inscriptions of Tortoise Shell", mainly refers to the words carved on tortoise shell bones by the royal family in the late Shang Dynasty in China (14-1century). After the demise of Shang Dynasty and the rise of Zhou Dynasty, Oracle Bone Inscriptions continued to be used for some time. It is the earliest known systematic writing form in China. It inherits the original carving symbols and opens the bronze inscription at the bottom, which is the key form of the development of Chinese characters. Modern Chinese characters evolved from Oracle Bone Inscriptions.

It is generally believed that in the 25th year of Guangxu reign (1899), Wang Yu, an official and epigraphist in the late Qing Dynasty, discovered Oracle bone inscriptions in Anyang, Henan. Xiaotun Village in the northwest of Anyang City is the location of the "Yin Ruins" in the late Shang Dynasty. Over the past century, more than 100,000 pieces of Oracle bones 10 have been unearthed in the local area through archaeological excavations. In addition, Oracle Bone Inscriptions also appeared in other parts of Henan and Shaanxi, and its age lasted from the middle of Shang Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn Period.

Oracle Bone Inscriptions's discovery promoted the study of China's ancient history and ancient philology by scholars all over the world, and created a brand-new discipline-Oracle Bone Inscriptions.