The unearthed tortoise shell is not only used for sacrifice and divination, but how to use it?

People in China like turtles for a long time, and turtles are deeply loved by people in China because of their long life. The cultural phenomenon of using turtles has continued from prehistoric times to today, which occupies an important position in the traditional culture of China. Legend has it that the Yellow Emperor clan in China took turtles as totems. According to legend, the emperor was born in Tiannian Mountain in the Central Plains, and the Yellow Emperor's "Xuanyuan" means "Tiannian" and "Tiannian" means "Big Turtle". "Tortoise worship" is a tradition of the Chinese nation, which is not only found in myths and legends, but also in the well-known Oracle Bone Inscriptions, and a considerable part of it is written with tortoise shells as the carrier. Moreover, the significance of Oracle bones lies in divining good and bad luck, which has sacred significance and function. But when did tortoise shells enter people's field of vision, when and in what form did people use tortoise shells, and what special significance did tortoise shells have for people?

Archaeological findings of tortoise shells unearthed from tombs were first found in Dawenkou cultural tombs, and tortoise shells were once considered as one of the characteristics of Dawenkou culture. Moreover, the tombs unearthed from tortoise shells are generally high-grade tombs, and the social stratification problem that did exist at that time was reflected behind tortoise shells. Later, tortoise shells appeared in other sites many times. The places where tortoise shells were unearthed are Peiligang culture in Jia Hu, Wuyang, Henan, Yangshao culture in Xiawanggang, Xichuan, Henan, Dawenkou culture in Wang Yin, Yanzhou, Shandong, Dawenkou in Tai 'an, Yedian in Zouxian, liu ling in Pixian, Jiangsu and Dadunzi. In addition, jade turtles different from real turtles were also found in Lingjiatan site, Niuheliang site and Fanshan site. Generally speaking, these unearthed tortoise shells generally have traces of artificial processing. Tortoise shells buried in tombs are filled with pebbles or sand, and the upper end and abdominal shell of tortoise shells are cut off, or artificially cut into small holes, and some tortoise shells have a row of small holes on their edges. Tortoise shells are generally unearthed in large tombs with relatively high specifications, and are not randomly placed in tombs, so they should have special functions and significance.

Tortoise shell has also attracted a lot of attention in academic circles. At present, there are different opinions about the use of tortoise shells. Some people think that tortoise shells are practical things, including tortoise shell bags, armguards, organs, medical tools and divination tools. There are three theories that it is a non-practical object: turtle spirit theory, mysterious turtle theory and artistic artifact theory. But some of these views are not very tenable. Below I will give some of my own humble opinions.

Some of the tortoise shells unearthed were placed in the arms of the tomb owner, and some were placed in other parts of the body, such as the waist. Therefore, it is unreasonable to use them as hand protectors.

In addition to bone needles and cones, there are also stones in the unearthed tortoise shells, and the number of stones is also very particular. Tortoise shell may not be a tool for practicing medicine, so it is not reasonable to say that tortoise shell is a tool for practicing medicine by witch doctors or a status symbol of people engaged in witch doctors.

If the tortoise shell is a carapace, the carapace should generally be leather, which is convenient for holding things. The content of tortoise shell money is very limited, which is obviously not an ideal object for making carapace.

According to the objects in tortoise shell, tortoise shell is a tool for divination, which is debatable. Especially among the jade turtles unearthed in Lingjiatan, there is a jade plate engraved with "the earliest gossip in China", which is easily associated with divination. Moreover, in the Three Dynasties, especially in the Shang Dynasty, tortoise shells began to be popular with divination. Therefore, tortoise shell as a divination tool still has a historical origin to follow.

As for the belief that tortoise shell is the product of mysterious tortoise, tortoise spirit, artworks, decorations, sacrifices and superstitions, it should be inferred from China's long-term worship of tortoise spirit. Turtles are generally considered to be spiritual, but this concept is the result of long-term historical accumulation. Tortoise shell should be related to a certain belief or religious concept. In the article "Tooth-pulling Custom and Ethnic Problems of Dawenkou Cultural Residents", Mr. Yan Wenming suggested that the tortoise shell might be the Classic of Mountains and Seas. This explanation holds that tortoise shells are related to primitive religious beliefs, but there is a great lack of archaeological and ethnological evidence.

Tortoise shells are generally unearthed in tombs with relatively high grades. People with high ranks are generally not hunters, and even hunting is ceremonial. If the tortoise shell is the hunting object, it should appear more in civilian tombs. So this statement is also untenable.

There is also a widely accepted saying that tortoise shell is a kind of buzzer, which has more ethnological evidence. Whether there are traces of processing on the surface of the tortoise shell or the items placed inside it, it may be used as a sound device. Tortoise shell is generally unearthed in the waist, legs, arms and feet of the tomb owner, but also in the head, heart and crotch. There are two unearthed near the head of the Jiahu site in Wuyang, one above the skull and the other below the skull. Although there are not many rules to follow in the position of tortoise shell apparatus, it is still a point that cannot be ignored.