---
node: oracle_bone_inscriptions
type: event
slug: oracle_bone_inscriptions
title: "Oracle bone inscriptions"
lead: "Divination records carved on ox shoulder blades and turtle plastrons in the late Shang (c. 1250–c. 1046 BC) are the earliest known form of Chinese writing. Identified in 1899, they confirmed the transmitted Shang king list and are the direct ancestor of modern Chinese characters."
published: 2026-07-09
updated: 2026-07-09
---

## What happened

In the late Shang, from about the reign of King Wu Ding (c. 1250 BC) down to c. 1046 BC, royal divination questions and their outcomes were carved on ox shoulder blades and turtle plastrons. These records, excavated at Yinxu near modern Anyang, are the oldest known Chinese writing.

## Background

Shang kings divined about harvests, war, weather, childbirth, and sacrifices, and the inscriptions preserve both the questions asked and the outcomes. The writing went unrecognized until 1899, when the scholar Wang Yirong identified it; tens of thousands of inscribed pieces are now known.

## Consequences

The inscriptions confirmed the Shang king list transmitted in Sima Qian's Shiji, anchoring the dynasty in the documentary record. They are also the direct ancestor of modern Chinese characters.