Storiascopio · Era 3 of 12 · primary year 4
Writing on oracle bones
about 1250 BC · Anyang, China
In short
The Shang kings wanted to know the future: whether the hunt would go well, whether it would rain, whether a battle would be won. Fortune-tellers wrote the question on turtle shells or ox bones, then heated them until cracks appeared that could be read. Many of these bones are carved with the oldest known Chinese characters. They were recognised in 1899, when they were being sold in chemists' shops as ‘dragon bones’.
Why it matters From those signs comes the Chinese writing still used today by more than a billion people.
Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Oracle bone”
Where we are in the era “River civilisations”
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about 4000 BCEvent 24 of 25about 1200 BC
Your turn
Name ______________________ Class ______ Date __________
When did it happen? Find the date at the top and write it here:
Tell it in your own words: what happened?
Draw the scene below.
storiascopio.com/en/event/writing-on-oracle-bones/ · free worksheet, you may photocopy it for your class