Language as we know it was developed out of a need to communicate with one another in the ever growing ancient human civilizations. In this time of rudimentary education in the Western world, pictographs which used symbols to convey their meaning where scribed onto stones. However, after the discovery of Chinese writing in 1899 by Wang Yirong (王懿榮), it has been found that the people of the Shang dynasty scribed their own form of pictographs onto animal bones. The oracle bone script (甲骨文) is currently the earliest known form of written Chinese history (around 1200 BC), and they give invaluable information of the way of Shang life.

Oracle bone photograph and rubbings courtesy of the Oracle Bone Collection of The Chinese University of Hong Kong

Although it is assumed that other scribing materials could have been used around this time period, the nature of bone has led it to withstand time to be the earliest evidence of Chinese characters. The construction of the ox bone or turtle shell also lends itself to the spiritual purpose of writing – oracle bone reading. This was the method most commonly used by Shang kings, who asked fortune-tellers to chisel and heat bones when they asked. The product markings within the bone would then be interpreted by the diviner while the questions and answers would be scribed onto that same bone. These questions could ranged from the mundane topics to advice on war tactics or when the best time to do a sacrifice would be.

Oracle bone inscriptions dated to 13th-11th century BC from the Shanghai Museum. The inscriptions pray for a bountiful harvest.

The questions on oracle bones were addressed to Shang Di (上帝), the deity of the Shang dynasty who had power over practically everything from harvests, weather, or war outcomes, and could control the fate of an empire. However, he was considered too great to be worshipped directly, and he was instead accessible through notable ancestors of the Shang people. It was believed that through the usage of oracle bones, one could reach these ancestors, deities, and famous figures for guidance.

Oracle script on turtle shell dated to 1300-1050 BC from the National Museum of Asian Art

The development of pictograms is impressive in its own right, but the usage of bones for divination is unseen anywhere else. Many of the ancient characters used in the oracle bone script can be easily understood by modern Chinese speakers, and it is even possible to type the ancient characters on a computer thanks to enthusiasts.

Oracle bone script collection at the Royal Ontario Museum

Sources:

Dr. Kristen Loring Brennan, Dr. Beth Harris and National Museum of Asian Art, Smithsonian Institution, “Oracle Bone, Shang Dynasty,” in Smarthistory, October 8, 2016, accessed October 4, 2022, https://smarthistory.org/oracle-bone/

Fowler, Jeaneane D., and Merv Fowler. Chinese Religions: Beliefs and Practices. Sussex Academic Press, 2012.

Houston, Stephen D. The First Writing: Script Invention as History and Process. Cambridge University Press, 2008.

A Legacy of Elegance: Oracle Bones Collection from the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Xianggang Zhong Wen Da Xue, 2017.

Yabing, Sun. “Manifold and Splendid: 120 Years of Research on the Oracle Bone Inscriptions and Shang History.” Chinese Studies in History, vol. 53, no. 4, 2020, pp. 351–368., https://doi.org/10.1080/00094633.2020.1834816.