Chinese Oracle bones

Claire Cox

This presentation explores Chinese oracle bones and their historical significance to ancient Chinese history. These artifacts are some of the earliest examples of the ancient Chinese writing system, and, therefore, they are invaluable primary sources when studying ancient Chinese culture and society.

6 thoughts on “Chinese Oracle bones”

  1. Well done, Claire! Your presentation is well organized, clear and packed with easily digestible information. I wonder whether you stumbled upon reasons why the practice may have be abandoned. Is the end of this practice tied to the end of the dynasty? Does it indicate a major world-view shift?
    Thank you!

    1. Thank you, Anne! To answer your question, yes, the practice of oracle bone divination lost its popularity as the Shang dynasty ended. With the rise of the Zhou dynasty in 1027 B.C.E., people turned to other methods to find out what the future held in store.

  2. Very interesting presentation. Even though this is an entirely different culture than Egyptian, it expresses the importance of the King (Pharoah) and his connection with the unseen powers. Just as new ideas arise and old ones decline, it is interesting how we rediscover the old ideas such as these bones and find new meaning in them. Good job.

    1. Thank you, Katherine! I definitely agree that the power of the King was displayed through this process of oracle bone divination. In fact, the King was able to reinforce his power through this ritual as he exhibited his connection with higher powers, in this case, the council of ancestors.

  3. Great presentation — very professional, and FULL of content. Good job!

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