Oracle Bones In Ancient China

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Divination is a common method of dealing with uncertainty, and is practiced in various ways. In ancient China, oracle bones were one way to seek answers relating to the near future. Oracle bones are ecofacts of turtle plastrons or bovine scapula that have been inscribed with ancient Chinese characters. Their creation involves a meticulous process. First, the bones are polished, then small holes or pits are drilled into the backside. They are then inscribed with a preface which includes the date and name of the diviner. Then, a “charge” is etched into the bone or shell. A “charge” is a query that involves topics such as warfare, religious rituals and sacrifices, hunting, journeys made by royalty, the royal family’s health, births and deaths, meanings of dreams, and predicting natural disasters. A hot, glowing brand is nested into the pits which heats up the shell or bone, creating cracks which are then interpreted by the diviner. A prognostication, or interpretation of the cracks is determined by the diviner and a course of action is inscribed afterwards. Rarely, a verified outcome may be recorded (Zhentao). The Yinxu Ruins of Anyang in the Henan Province of China is where oracle bones were first discovered during …show more content…

Discovery of oracle bones in Huayuanzhuang-East, south of the palace zone of Anyang points to what Adam Craig Schwartz calls an “ancestor cult”. They number around 2,500 and are mostly intact. The inscriptions are prayers meant to invoke the ancestors’ spirits in conjunction with an animal sacrifice (usually of cows or pigs) and other ritual activities including libation of aromatic wines. Prayers were able to be performed multiple times in a given temple-service day. Inscriptions often asked if certain ritual parameters were satisfactory, such as the “time, place, participants, methods, and ultimately, the proper selection and presentation of offerings”

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