Search by Subject
Search by Institution
Tortoise plastron with oracular inscription (Part2 6664, Part3 207, R044358)

Tags: divination | oracle bone | Shang dynasty | turtle shell | Wu Ding

Obtained in the Institute of History and Philology's 13th excavation in 1936, it is an oracle bone belonging to the first period of the time of Wu Ding. Only the upper half part of this tortoise plastron remains, its surface smooth and level. The divination inscription was carved twice over, which, compared to oracular inscriptions carved with a single pass, comes even closer to the original appearance of the brushed writing. The brushstrokes have been filled in with vermillion. The contents are records of ancestral sacrifices and meteorological concerns.

 

Rubbing dimensions: length 14 cm, width 18.41 cm Object dimensions: length 13.4 cm, width 17.5 cm

 

Excavation date: 1936, 13th Xiaotun excavation
Place of excavation: Xiaotun, Anyang County, Henan Province

 

Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica
Digital Resources and Archived Images Application