Oracle bone script: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 20:59, 22 February 2006

Revision as of 21:00, 22 February 2006

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[[Image:Example.jpg]][[Image:Example.jpg]][[Link title]]'''Bold t<nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here</nowiki>ext'''''Italic text''[[Media:Example.ogg]]<nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here</nowiki><nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here</nowiki>[[Media[[Link title]]:Example.ogg]][[Media:Example.ogg]][[Media:Example.ogg]][[Media:Example.ogg]][[Media:Example.ogg]]<nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here</nowiki><nowiki>Insert non-formatted text here</nowiki>'''Oracle bone script''' ({{zh-cpl|c=&#30002;&#39592;&#25991;|p=ji&#462;g&#468;w&eacute;n|l=shell bone writing}}) are incised characters found on [[cattle|ox]] [[scapula]]e and [[tortoise]] [[plastron]]s ([[oracle bone]]s) thought to be the earliest [[Chinese character]]s.

''

== Headline text == ==''Oracle bone script is seen to develop over the several generations of [[Shang Dynasty|Shang]] kings, so there is no single defined form of for each character.

==

== Headline text == ==''Oracle bone script is seen to develop over the several generations of [[Shang Dynasty|Shang]] kings, so there is no single defined form of for each character.

The bones and script were used in the practice of [[scapulomancy]]: the diviner would inscribe on the bone or shell his name, the current date of the [[sexagesimal cycle]] and then inscribe two possible outcomes on the shell. Depending on how the fired object cracked, diviners would interpret the answer from them. For example:

[http://www.example.com link title]'''Bold text'''

"Test : Tomorrow it will rain"

<br>

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|[[Image:OracleShell.JPG|thumbnail|left|Replica of ancient Chinese script on an oracle turtle shell]]

|[[Image:OracleDivining.JPG|thumbnail|left|Oracle script from a divining]]

|-

|-[[Media:Example.ogg]][http://www.example.com link title][[Link title]][[Link title]]

|[[Image:OracleSun.JPG|thumbnail|left|OOracle script script inquiry about rain]]

== Headline text ==[http://www.example.com link title][[Link title]]''Italic text''

racle script script inquiry about rain]]

|[[Image:Obi-rain.png|thumbnail|left|Oracle script script inquiry about rain (annotated)]]

|-

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|}

Oracle bone characters may have components which differ in later characters, for instance the character for Autumn &#31179; now appears with &#31166; as one component and fire &#28779; as another component. From the Oracle script, one sees that an ant-like creature is carved inscript]]instead.

Of the thousands of characters found from all the bone fragments, the majority remain undeciphered. One good example is shown in fragment labeled "Oracle script for Spring". The top left character in this image has no modern Chinese character counterpart to date. One of the better known characters however is shown directly beneath it looking like an upright iscosceles triangle with a line cutting through the upper portion. This is the Oracle script character for &#29579; "wáng" or King.

==See also==

*[[Bronzeware script]]

*[[I Ching]]

*[[Seal script]]