Oracle bone

What it is

Oracle bones are pieces of ox shoulder blade and turtle shell used for divination in ancient China. The practice, known as pyromancy, involved heating the bones until they cracked. A diviner would read these cracks to answer questions posed by the royal family. These objects also hold the earliest significant corpus of Chinese writing, preserving thousands of inscriptions that record historical events and rituals.

Where it comes from

The practice dates to the Late Shang period, roughly between 1250 and 1050 BCE. The bones were unearthed near Anyang, the last capital of the Shang dynasty. While farmers may have found them earlier, modern recognition began in 1899 when an antiques dealer sold them to a scholar who identified the markings as ancient script. This discovery confirmed the historicity of the Shang dynasty.

How it is done

A diviner carved a question onto the bone or shell using a sharp tool. They then applied intense heat with a metal rod to one side. The thermal expansion caused cracks to appear on the opposite surface. The diviner interpreted the pattern of these cracks to determine the answer. Finally, they might carve the prediction or outcome directly onto the piece.

Tools and materials

The primary materials are ox scapulae and turtle plastrons. A metal rod delivers the heat to cause cracking. Early inscriptions were carved with sharp tools. Later Zhou dynasty records sometimes used brushes and cinnabar ink, though this medium degraded over time compared to the durable carved characters.

What it is for

Questions addressed deities about weather patterns, crop planting success, military campaigns, and the health of the royal family. The practice served to guide state decisions and maintain harmony with ancestral spirits. It was a central mechanism for royal authority and governance during the Shang era.

Who does it

Professional diviners conducted the rites for the Shang royalty. They were organized into groups, such as the Bīn group, who worked under specific kings. The king often participated personally in later periods. These specialists interpreted the signs and recorded the results, forming a crucial link between the court and the spiritual world.

Peoples and places

The practice is primarily associated with the Shang people of ancient China. Inscriptions confirm its use within the royal household at Yin. The tradition continued briefly into the early Zhou dynasty, but the scale and frequency decreased significantly as writing methods shifted away from bone divination.

What people believe

The cracks were seen as messages from ancestors and deities. The Shang believed their actions required divine approval. The ritual established a covenant between the living ruler and the spiritual realm. Correct interpretation ensured proper conduct and favorable outcomes for the state and its people.

When it is done

Divinations occurred throughout the reigns of the last nine Shang kings. Dates were recorded using a sixty-day cycle of stems and branches. Specific lunar eclipses mentioned in the texts help scholars date these events. The practice was integral to the royal calendar and seasonal agricultural cycles.

Questions people ask about Oracle bone

Good reading and sources

• Encyclopaedia BritannicaArticle

• Oracle bone on WikipediaEncyclopedia
• More photos on Wikimedia CommonsPhotos and video
• Wikidata recordOpen data