Oracle bones are well known as the earliest method of Chinese writing and were commonly used in divination ceremonies or rituals in the Shang Dynasty. Oracle bones were very abundant in the Shang dynasty and they themselves were often made from the shoulder blades of oxen or turtle plastrons. Majority of the bone fragments archeologists recovered were from the Anyang, Henan region which was a major divination site. The divination process would include a Shang King praying or addressing an important matter while applying an immensely hot fire poker to brand the oracle bone. The heat will result in a series of cracks in the bone that would be ready for interpretation. Normally, the cracks and discoloration of the bones will be used to indicate a message as auspicious or inauspicious.
In regards to the subject matters that the Shang King addresses, they are often based on his day to day activities and religious/spiritual beliefs. For example, matters such as wars, weather, agriculture, good luck, illnesses, etc were popular choices. I do think that it is interesting how the things that the Shang King prayed for at the time was a reflection on the concerns of the elite and regular civilians at the time. In each time period, we are concerned about different things and understanding about what the concerns and worries were during the Shang period gives us a glimpse into the past.
Some questions that remain unanswered are why did the living kings of the Shang dynasty all feared and respected their predecessors when it came to praying for good harvest and weather? What does that say about their spiritual/religious beliefs at the time? In terms of the predictions and results on the oracle bones, why were the original subject and initial prediction by the King always carved but the result rarely ever carved? How did the people of Shang react when their King made an incorrect prediction?
Works Cited:
Keightley, David. “Chapter 1: The Oracle Bone Inscriptions of the Late Shang Dynasty”. Sources of Chinese Tradition, Vol. 1: From Earliest Times to 1600, edited by W. deBary et al. New York: Columbia Univ. Press, 1999.
Keightley, David N. Sources of Shang History: The Oracle-Bone Inscriptions of Bronze Age China. Berkeley: University of California Press, 1978.
