The discovery of oracle bones
The oracle bone (animal bones covered in ancient writing) in the image was discovered in China over 100 years ago.
At first, nobody knew what they were.
Later, historians realised the words inscribed (marking a surface with pictures or writing) on them were questions and they were able to work out who wrote them and when.
Oracle bones like the one in the image are about 3500 years old.
They proved the existence of the Shang Dynasty.
Most of the bones were discovered in the Shang capital city of Yinxu, near modern-day Anyang.
Important words
Important words on oracle bones.
| Keyword | Definition |
|---|---|
| Agriculture | Growing plants and raising animals as a source of food and other products that people used. |
| Civilisation | A group of people living together, with their own cities, rules, jobs and culture. |
| Inscribed | Marking a surface with pictures or writing. |
| Oracle bones | Animal bones covered in ancient writing. |
Watch: Oracle bones
Watch the video to learn more about oracle bones.
Narrator: One of the most exciting objects or artefacts we have from the Shang Dynasty are oracle bones. They are animal bones covered in ancient writing and were used to try to predict the future.
The King would call on a priest to help him talk to the gods.
King: The crops are dry, is the rain coming today?
Narrator: The priest would carve the question, ‘Will it rain today?’ into the oracle bone.
He would then heat it with a hot poker until it cracked. The priest would then try to interpret the cracks in the oracle bone and tell the king what he thought the gods were saying.
Priest: The gods say the rain will come today.
Narrator: We don’t know how often the priests got it right. Oracle bones are a primary source which means they are from the time of the Shang Dynasty.
Today, by knowing what questions the priests asked the gods, we can understand a lot about people’s lives and what was important to them.
Interactive: Explore the marks on an oracle bone
Click through the interactive to learn more about oracle bones.
How were they made?
Oracle bones are made from ox bone and turtle shell.
They were scraped and smoothed to make them easy to write on.
Holes were drilled into the bone.
The Shang kings and priests (the diviners) would ask questions to the gods.
These might be about the weather, the future of the dynasty or military victory.
These would be carved onto the bone or shell using a sharp tool.
A hot metal rod was applied until the bone or shell cracked.
The diviners would interpret the cracks and write the answer on the bone or shell.
What can they tell us about the Shang dynasty?
The writing on the oracle bones is the first form of Chinese writing.
It uses around 5,000 characters.
Different civilisations developed written languages and kept records with different purposes. The Shang used writing on oracle bones to ask questions of the gods. The bones were useful in the Shang Dynasty and have helped historians understand more about this period of history.
They tell us about the rulers of the Shang Dynasty, the weather, warfare, agriculture (growing plants and raising animals as a source of food and other products that people used), births and deaths.
They even tell us what was causing a royal toothache!
Most of the oracle bones are from period when the last nine kings of the Shang Dynasty ruled.
Think like a historian
Have a look at the thinking points below and think about your answer to each question. You could even write them down on a piece of paper or discuss them with somebody else if you want to.
Why might the King have been asking the gods questions?
Why is it useful to historians to be able to read ancient writing?
Ancient peoples including the Shang Dynasty believed the gods were responsible and helped with many areas of life. They did not have the scientific knowledge we have today to explain the world around us.
Objects can tell us about the equipment people had in the past and how they may have used them. Objects from ancient religions give us some ideas about what people believed. Writing gives us more detail as to what people thought and what they believed shaped the world around them.
Activities
Activity 1: Shang writing
Click through the interactive to learn more about writing in the Shang dynasty.
Activity 2: Oracle bones quiz
Grown-ups corner
Are you a parent, carer or teacher?
Take a look at some of the links below on KS2 History which are packed full of knowledge, videos, quizzes and activities.
History KS2: The Story of China - The Rise and Fall of the Shang
BBC Bitesize for Teachers
History KS2: The Story of China - How the Shang Invented Writing
BBC Bitesize for Teachers
History KS2: The Story of China - How We Know About the Shang
BBC Bitesize for Teachers
Horrible Histories: Raid and Trade game! game
Play Horrible Histories: Raid and Trade KS2 History
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