Definition: Oracle Bones are the earliest example of Chinese writing we have, dating from the late Shang Period (c. 1200 B.C.). They are called oracle bones because the writing deals with divination and is carved on bone -- ox scapula and tortoiseshell. The oracle bones have taught scholars much about the Shang Dynasty. About 150,000 of these were found in AnYang, in the northern province of Henan, China, beginning in 1899.
Also Known As: Jia Gu Wen (in Chinese Pinyin)
