🤯 Did You Know (click to read)
Many oracle bones were originally sold as “dragon bones” in traditional medicine before scholars realized their historical value.
During the Shang Dynasty in ancient China, diviners practiced pyromancy using oracle bones. These were typically ox scapulae or turtle plastrons inscribed with questions about harvests, warfare, or royal births. The bones were heated until cracks formed, and the patterns were interpreted as answers from ancestors. Thousands of these bones were later unearthed near modern-day Anyang. The inscriptions constitute the earliest known form of Chinese writing. Some questions were surprisingly specific, such as whether rain would fall on a certain day. The answers were archived, creating a literal record of supernatural consultations. Governance and spirituality were inseparable in this cracking ritual.
💥 Impact (click to read)
Oracle bones reveal that early Chinese statecraft relied on ritualized divination. Kings sought legitimacy not from public opinion but from ancestral approval. The practice created a written archive of political anxiety. Each crack symbolized a decision validated by perceived cosmic authority. This system reinforced centralized rule under sacred guidance. It also preserved invaluable linguistic history.
The artifact demonstrates how mystical objects can drive bureaucratic development. Recording divine responses required scribes and standardized script. Over time, this helped solidify Chinese writing as a durable system. The bones show that administrative sophistication can emerge from ritual needs. A cracked turtle shell thus helped birth one of the world’s longest continuous writing traditions. Sometimes superstition becomes infrastructure.
Source
Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art – Shang Dynasty Oracle Bones
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