Tortoise plastron with vermillion text (Part2 6422, 6423, R044802) |
Obtained in the Institute of History and Philology's 13th Xiaotun excavation in 1936, it belongs to period 1, the age of Wu Ding. Upon the shell can clearly be seen the number preceding each divination record. When people of the Shang dynasty divined, a single matter might be repeatedly divined about quite a few times, and in order to clearly distinguish which divination charge was the result of which time the question was divined, in the upper right corner or upper left corner of the divination charge itself would be inscribed a number 1, 2, 3, 4... and so on.
Rubbing dimensions: length 16.9 cm, width 9.65 cm
Excavation date: 1936, 13th Xiaotun excavation
Institute of History and Philology, Academia Sinica
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