ENQUIRING OF THE GODS

The oldest written records from China are records of divination. Inscribed on the bones of oxen and the shells of turtles, three thousand years later they provide a window into the cosmos of the first Chinese states. Since their discovery over a century ago, thousands have been uncovered. By providing a written record of enquiries put to the gods and ancestors by the Shang kings, they provide an insight into Shang belief systems, the relationship between religion and the state, and questions of statecraft for which the ruler sought to reduce his uncertainty.

William Matthews

THEME: Looking into the future ORACLE BONES AND STATE AUTHORITY IN SHANG CHINA The Shang state existed from around 1600–1046 BC in the Yellow River basin, in what is now north-central China. It was an agricultural state centred on a capital city ruled by a dynastic clan, and in possession of a sophisticated bronze culture typified by a wide range of ritual vessels. The oracle bones themselves attest to a culture of record-keeping, apparently having been kept in archives, and date from around 1200 BC onwards. The Shang were not the only Bronze Age state in what is now China, or the only polity to use bones for divination – various sites elsewhere reveal walled cities, metal production, and other indicators of social stratification. In some cases, such as the material…

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Ancient History (Digital) - 1 Issue, AH 46

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