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Oracle bones were primarily crafted from ox scapulae and turtle plastrons for the purpose of pyromancy.
Answer: True
Explanation: The archaeological evidence confirms that oracle bones were predominantly fashioned from ox scapulae and turtle plastrons, utilized in the ancient practice of pyromancy for divination.
The preparation of oracle bones involved polishing them and drilling or chiseling pits partway through.
Answer: True
Explanation: The preparation process for oracle bones included meticulous cleaning, smoothing, and the precise drilling or chiseling of pits into the material, which were crucial for the subsequent cracking during divination.
What materials were commonly used to create oracle bones?
Answer: Ox scapulae and turtle plastrons
Explanation: The most common materials utilized for the creation of oracle bones were the scapulae (shoulder blades) of oxen and the plastrons (undersides) of turtles.
What is the significance of the flat surfaces on oracle bones and shells for the divination process?
Answer: They provided a smooth area for inscribing questions and for cracking.
Explanation: The flat surfaces of oracle bones and shells were crucial as they offered a suitable area for inscribing the divinatory questions and for the subsequent application of heat to induce the characteristic cracks.
Besides ox scapulae and turtle plastrons, what other animal bones were sometimes used for inscriptions?
Answer: Sheep, boar, horse, and deer scapulae
Explanation: In addition to the predominant use of ox scapulae and turtle plastrons, inscriptions were also found on the scapulae of sheep, boars, horses, and deer.
What rare inscribed items, besides animal bones, were found and likely used for record-keeping or practice?
Answer: Deer, ox, and human skulls
Explanation: Rare inscribed artifacts discovered include the skulls of deer, oxen, and humans, which are believed to have served purposes related to record-keeping or practice rather than divination.
Why is it theorized that tortoises were presented as tribute to the Shang?
Answer: They are not native to the regions where oracle bones were discovered.
Explanation: The theory suggests that tortoises were presented as tribute to the Shang court because they are not indigenous to the geographical areas where oracle bones were typically sourced or discovered.
What steps were involved in preparing the bones or shells for divination?
Answer: Cleaning, smoothing, and drilling/chiseling pits.
Explanation: The preparation of oracle bones and shells involved cleaning them thoroughly, smoothing their surfaces, and then carefully drilling or chiseling pits partway through the material.
The primary use of oracle bones was for recording historical events and royal decrees.
Answer: False
Explanation: The principal function of oracle bones was not historical record-keeping but rather serving as a medium for divination, through which questions were posed to deities and ancestors.
Divination using oracle bones involved heating metal rods against the bone until it cracked.
Answer: True
Explanation: The divination process entailed applying intense heat, typically with metal rods, to prepared areas of the bone or shell, inducing cracks that were subsequently interpreted as divine messages.
The 'preface' of an oracle bone inscription typically contained the diviner's prognostication.
Answer: False
Explanation: The 'preface' section of an oracle bone inscription typically recorded the date (using the sexagenary cycle) and the name of the diviner, while the prognostication was usually recorded separately or implied.
A 'verification' in an oracle bone inscription refers to the initial question posed to the deities.
Answer: False
Explanation: A 'verification' in oracle bone inscriptions refers to a rare addition that records the actual outcome or result of the divination, indicating whether the prognostication proved accurate, rather than the initial question.
What was the primary function of oracle bones in ancient China?
Answer: To ask questions to deities through divination.
Explanation: The primary function of oracle bones was to serve as a medium for divination, enabling ancient Chinese rulers and priests to pose questions to deities and ancestral spirits.
How was the divination process conducted using oracle bones?
Answer: By applying heat to create cracks, which were then interpreted.
Explanation: The divination process involved applying intense heat to prepared sections of the bone or shell, causing it to crack. The resulting patterns of these cracks were then interpreted by the diviner to ascertain the divine response.
What types of entities were often the focus of the 'charges' or topics of divination?
Answer: Ancestors, natural powers, and Di (the highest god).
Explanation: The 'charges' or subjects of divination frequently addressed revered ancestors, manifestations of natural forces, and Di, the supreme deity in the Shang pantheon.
What information was typically recorded in the 'preface' section of an oracle bone inscription?
Answer: The date (using Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches) and the diviner's name.
Explanation: The 'preface' of an oracle bone inscription typically contained essential contextual information, namely the date of the divination, recorded using the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches, and the name of the diviner.
What is a 'verification' in the context of oracle bone inscriptions?
Answer: A record of the actual outcome of the divination.
Explanation: A 'verification' is an addition to an oracle bone inscription that documents the actual result of the divination, serving as a record of whether the prognostication proved accurate.
Oracle bone inscriptions contain approximately 5,000 distinct characters, many of which are still recognizable in modern Chinese.
Answer: True
Explanation: The corpus of oracle bone inscriptions features a substantial number of distinct characters, estimated at around 5,000, with a significant portion exhibiting recognizable forms that persist in contemporary Chinese writing.
Oracle bone inscriptions primarily focused on philosophical debates and astronomical observations.
Answer: False
Explanation: The content of oracle bone inscriptions predominantly concerned divinatory matters, including inquiries about weather, harvests, and royal affairs, rather than philosophical discourse or detailed astronomical records.
The discipline dedicated to studying oracle bones and their script is called oraculology.
Answer: True
Explanation: The specialized academic field focused on the study, decipherment, and interpretation of oracle bones and their inscriptions is known as oraculology.
The character 卜 (bǔ), meaning 'to divine,' might be a pictogram of a crack on an oracle bone.
Answer: True
Explanation: Linguistic analysis suggests that the character 卜 (bǔ), which signifies 'to divine,' may have originated as a pictogram representing the characteristic cracks formed on oracle bones during the divination process.
The Chinese characters jiaguwen (甲骨文) translate to 'shell and bone script'.
Answer: True
Explanation: The term 'jiaguwen' (甲骨文) is the standard Chinese designation for the script found on oracle bones, literally translating to 'shell and bone script'.
What does the term 'jiaguwen' (甲骨文) literally translate to?
Answer: Shell and bone script
Explanation: The Chinese term 'jiaguwen' (甲骨文) directly translates to 'shell and bone script,' referring to the writing system found on oracle bones.
Wang Yirong was the first person in modern times to recognize the markings on oracle bones as ancient Chinese writing.
Answer: True
Explanation: Wang Yirong, a scholar and official, is widely credited as the first individual in modern times to identify the inscriptions on oracle bones as an ancient form of Chinese script, recognizing their connection to bronze inscriptions.
Antique dealers intentionally spread accurate information about the source of oracle bones to aid scholars.
Answer: False
Explanation: Antique dealers intentionally disseminated misinformation regarding the provenance of oracle bones, claiming they originated from Tangyin in Henan province, in order to protect the actual discovery site near Anyang.
Who is credited with being the first person in modern times to recognize the markings on oracle bones as ancient Chinese writing?
Answer: Wang Yirong
Explanation: Wang Yirong, an antiquarian scholar, is credited with the pivotal recognition that the markings on oracle bones constituted an ancient form of Chinese writing.
What false information did antique dealers spread about the origin of oracle bones?
Answer: That they came from Tangyin in Henan province.
Explanation: To obscure the true archaeological significance of the Anyang site, antique dealers propagated the falsehood that the oracle bones originated from Tangyin in Henan province.
Which institution traced the source of oracle bones to Anyang by 1928?
Answer: The Institute of History and Philology at Academia Sinica
Explanation: By 1928, the Institute of History and Philology, affiliated with Academia Sinica, successfully traced the provenance of the oracle bones to the Anyang region.
The discovery and decipherment of oracle bones provided conclusive evidence for the existence of the Xia dynasty.
Answer: False
Explanation: While the decipherment of oracle bone inscriptions provided definitive proof for the existence and historical details of the Shang dynasty, conclusive evidence for the Xia dynasty remains a subject of ongoing scholarly debate and archaeological investigation.
The practice of using oracle bones for divination was most prevalent during the Neolithic period in China.
Answer: False
Explanation: The practice of using inscribed oracle bones for divination was most significantly prevalent during the Late Shang period (circa 1250–1050 BCE), not the Neolithic period, although earlier forms of pyromancy existed.
The site near Anyang, identified as the last Shang capital, is known today as the Ruins of Yin or Yinxu.
Answer: True
Explanation: The archaeological site located near Anyang, which has been identified as the final capital of the Shang dynasty, is indeed known by the designations Ruins of Yin or Yinxu.
Oracle bones were typically buried in pits designated for mixed materials after their use.
Answer: False
Explanation: Following their ritualistic use, oracle bones were typically interred in specific pits, often segregated by material type (e.g., shells only, scapulae only), rather than being buried in mixed-material pits.
The pit YH127 at Yinxu contained over 17,000 inscribed oracle bone pieces, highlighting the scale of divination practices.
Answer: True
Explanation: The archaeological discovery of pit YH127 at Yinxu yielded an extraordinary collection of over 17,000 inscribed oracle bone fragments, underscoring the extensive scale of divination activities during the Shang dynasty.
Which historical period is most strongly associated with the primary use of inscribed oracle bones?
Answer: The Late Shang period (c. 1250–1050 BCE)
Explanation: The practice of inscribing oracle bones reached its zenith and is most strongly associated with the Late Shang period, specifically between approximately 1250 and 1050 BCE.
What significant historical confirmation did the decipherment of oracle bones provide?
Answer: Confirmation of the historicity of the Shang dynasty.
Explanation: The decipherment of oracle bone inscriptions provided crucial and definitive confirmation of the historical existence of the Shang dynasty, settling long-standing scholarly debates about its reality.
The discovery of the true source of oracle bones near Anyang revealed it to be the site of what?
Answer: The last capital of the Shang dynasty.
Explanation: The identification of the true source of oracle bones near Anyang confirmed it as the location of the final capital city of the Shang dynasty, known as Yin.
How were used oracle bones ritually disposed of after divination?
Answer: They were buried in separate pits designated for specific materials.
Explanation: After their ritualistic use, oracle bones were typically disposed of by burial in designated pits, often segregated according to the material type, such as pits exclusively for shells or for scapulae.
Li Ji is recognized as the father of Chinese archaeology and led excavations at the Anyang oracle bone sites.
Answer: True
Explanation: Li Ji is indeed regarded as the father of Chinese archaeology, and he played a pivotal role in leading the systematic excavations at the oracle bone sites near Anyang, significantly advancing the field.
James Mellon Menzies, a Canadian missionary, was the first to scientifically excavate and study oracle bones.
Answer: True
Explanation: James Mellon Menzies, a Canadian missionary, is recognized for being among the first to conduct scientific excavations and rigorous studies of oracle bones, contributing significantly to their understanding and dating.
Dong Zuobin developed a chronological system for oracle bones based on the names of diviners.
Answer: True
Explanation: Dong Zuobin is credited with developing a seminal chronological framework for oracle bone inscriptions, which he based on the identification and analysis of the names of the diviners recorded within the texts.
Lunar eclipses mentioned in inscriptions have been used by scholars to establish an absolute chronology for the oracle bones.
Answer: True
Explanation: Scholars have effectively utilized references to lunar eclipses within oracle bone inscriptions as astronomical markers to establish a more precise, absolute chronology for the Shang dynasty's divination records.
David Keightley argued that the Book of Documents is a reliable source for dating Wu Ding's reign without qualification.
Answer: False
Explanation: David Keightley critically examined the Book of Documents, arguing against its unqualified use for dating Wu Ding's reign due to its later composition and potential historical inaccuracies compared to oracle bone evidence.
Ken-ichi Takashima estimates the earliest oracle bone inscriptions date to around 1000 BCE.
Answer: False
Explanation: Ken-ichi Takashima's scholarly analysis estimates the earliest oracle bone inscriptions to date to approximately 1230 BCE, not 1000 BCE.
The Jiaguwen Heji is a comprehensive catalogue of oracle bone fragments, co-edited by Hu Houxuan and Guo Moruo.
Answer: True
Explanation: The Jiaguwen Heji is indeed recognized as a significant and comprehensive catalogue of oracle bone fragments, with its compilation notably co-edited by scholars Hu Houxuan and Guo Moruo.
The oracle bone inscriptions from Qijia, Shaanxi, showed significant differences from those at Anyang, including the use of lunar phases for dating.
Answer: True
Explanation: Inscriptions found at Qijia, Shaanxi, exhibit notable distinctions from those discovered at Anyang, such as the utilization of lunar phases as a dating mechanism and variations in vocabulary and preparation methods.
What astronomical event is mentioned as being used by scholars to establish an absolute chronology for oracle bones?
Answer: Lunar eclipses
Explanation: Scholars have employed records of lunar eclipses found within oracle bone inscriptions as critical astronomical data points for establishing an absolute chronology.
David Keightley criticized the use of which text for dating Wu Ding's reign, citing its later composition and potential inaccuracies?
Answer: The Book of Documents
Explanation: David Keightley specifically critiqued the reliability of the Book of Documents, particularly the chapter 'Against Luxurious Ease,' as a source for dating Wu Ding's reign due to its later composition and potential historical discrepancies.
What is the estimated date for the earliest oracle bone inscriptions according to Ken-ichi Takashima?
Answer: Approximately 1230 BCE
Explanation: Ken-ichi Takashima's research posits that the earliest oracle bone inscriptions can be dated to approximately 1230 BCE.
Which of the following is a characteristic difference noted for oracle bone inscriptions found at Qijia, Shaanxi?
Answer: Use of lunar phases for dating and unique vocabulary.
Explanation: Oracle bone inscriptions from Qijia, Shaanxi, are noted for differences such as the utilization of lunar phases for dating purposes and the presence of unique vocabulary, distinguishing them from the Anyang corpus.
The Shang dynasty kings began performing divinations personally only in the earliest periods of their rule.
Answer: False
Explanation: Historical analysis indicates that Shang dynasty kings began performing divinations personally primarily during the later periods of their rule, rather than the earliest.
Later divinations during the Shang dynasty became more complex and focused on detailed historical analysis.
Answer: False
Explanation: Scholarly observations suggest that later divinations during the Shang dynasty tended to become more perfunctory and optimistic, often performed by the king himself, rather than increasing in complexity or focusing on detailed historical analysis.
The earliest evidence of pyromancy involving bones in China, found in Liaoning, included inscribed writing.
Answer: False
Explanation: The earliest evidence of pyromancy involving bones in China, dating to the 4th millennium BCE in Liaoning, utilized animal scapulae but did not feature inscribed writing, distinguishing it from later Shang oracle bones.
By which period did the Shang kings themselves begin to personally perform divinations?
Answer: The late Shang period
Explanation: The practice of Shang dynasty kings personally conducting divinations became more common during the later phases of the dynasty.
How did later divinations, according to Keightley's observations, tend to differ from those during Wu Ding's reign?
Answer: They were more perfunctory, optimistic, and often performed by the king.
Explanation: Keightley's observations indicate that divinations in later Shang periods were generally more perfunctory and optimistic, frequently conducted directly by the king, contrasting with the practices during Wu Ding's reign.
What distinguishes the earliest evidence of pyromancy involving bones in China (4th millennium BCE, Liaoning) from the Shang oracle bones?
Answer: The earliest evidence did not involve inscriptions.
Explanation: The primary distinction lies in the presence of writing; the earliest evidence of pyromancy in Liaoning (4th millennium BCE) involved bones but lacked inscriptions, unlike the later, inscribed oracle bones of the Shang dynasty.
What methods are thought to have supplanted pyromancy, contributing to the decline of inscribed oracle bones?
Answer: Numerological divination using milfoil (yarrow) and the I Ching.
Explanation: It is theorized that divination methods such as numerological practices involving milfoil (yarrow) and the I Ching gradually supplanted pyromancy, leading to the decline in the use of inscribed oracle bones.