The bone collector
3 years, 9 months ago

The bone collector

China Daily  

Liu introduces oracle bones to visitors at the Yinxu Museum in Anyang, Henan province. Among thousands of oracle bones Liu and her team found, her favorite is one that's about 20 centimeters long and 12 centimeters wide, upon which is carved a record of a royal family's hunting activities. Liu's passion for oracle bones and their inscriptions have continued to burn years after she retired, and as she talks, she points to one of the books she compiled. Her 2006 work Jiaguwen Shuji Tiyao is a guide to academic studies of oracle bone inscriptions not just in China, but also abroad. "Scholars of such inscriptions need to work more closely with those in other disciplines, including ancient Chinese, archaeology, ethnography and computer science," she says.

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History of this topic

Tech approach gives life to artifacts
5 months ago

Tech approach gives life to artifacts

China Daily  

A specific area of a rubbing is digitally enhanced for better clarity. For example, detection datasets were only able to isolate characters without identifying them, while character recognition datasets could recognize only a few hundred characters; and some annotations were incomplete due to a lack of specialized knowledge. "We have now achieved several significant milestones," says Wang Chaoyang, chief architect …

Tech approach gives life to artifacts
5 months ago

Tech approach gives life to artifacts

China Daily  

Visitors examine the oracle bones dating back to the late Shang Dynasty exhibited at the Yinxu Museum of Anyang, Henan. CHINA DAILY Unlike other famous ancient writing systems, such as Egyptian hieroglyphs, Babylonian cuneiform and Mayan glyphs, the character precursors on oracle bones eventually evolved into modern characters over the course of thousands of years. In the museum's oracle bone …

A vocation with character
9 months ago

A vocation with character

China Daily  

A group photo of staff at the Center for Research on Chinese Excavated Classics and Paleography at Fudan University. In China, there has long been a group of paleographers working on solving the mystery of oracle bone inscriptions, which are the earliest-known form of Chinese writing. Professor Chen Jian, researcher Jiang Yubin and associate researcher Xie Mingwen from the Center …

A vocation with character
9 months ago

A vocation with character

China Daily  

Jiang Yubin, a researcher specializing in oracle bone inscriptions at the center at Fudan University. Found in the Yinxu Ruins in Anyang city, Central China's Henan province, the oracle bone inscriptions proved the existence of the Shang Dynasty. "In the past 110 years, about 3,900 scholars from around the world have carried out research on oracle bone inscriptions. Nevertheless, China …

A vocation with character
9 months ago

A vocation with character

China Daily  

Oracle bones with inscriptions on them unearthed at the Yinxu Ruins. Using technology like big data, the platform is a database that integrates updates on pieces of oracle bones that have been "rejoined" — basically, matching separate pieces that were originally part of the same oracle bone — which greatly facilitates the study of inscriptions. Although the pieces of a …

Casting a lasting shadow
10 months ago

Casting a lasting shadow

China Daily  

A ceremonial jade item known as gui on display in the Yinxu Museum. "Its prosperous cities, complete ritual culture, bronze craftsmanship, advanced writing system, and scientific developments contributed to the brilliant eras of early China that followed," Chen says. In the early 20th century when Chinese society was unstable, many scattered Shang relics and fragments of oracle bones were taken …

Casting a lasting shadow
10 months ago

Casting a lasting shadow

China Daily  

A bronze vessel known as jia unearthed from Ya Zhang's tomb. In spite of its unique characteristics, Shang civilization also demonstrates similarities with other ancient civilizations of its time, as an exhibition at the museum explains. Chen therefore expects the new museum at Yinxu to be a hub, promoting international academic cooperation on studies of the Shang to broaden understanding …

A career scripted in history
1 year, 6 months ago

A career scripted in history

China Daily  

Li Ying regularly visits the library to study oracle bone scripts and ancient history. Li Ying has her eyes wide open, apparently in shock, as she points out the rarity of her college background in oracle bone script studies. "Many of the words we use now don't have a counterpart in the oracle bone script, which was mainly used by …

A career scripted in history
1 year, 6 months ago

A career scripted in history

China Daily  

Li Ying regularly visits the library to study oracle bone scripts and ancient history. Li Ying has her eyes wide open, apparently in shock, as she points out the rarity of her college background in oracle bone script studies. "Many of the words we use now don't have a counterpart in the oracle bone script, which was mainly used by …

A career scripted in history
1 year, 6 months ago

A career scripted in history

China Daily  

Li Ying regularly visits the library to study oracle bone scripts and ancient history. Li Ying has her eyes wide open, apparently in shock, as she points out the rarity of her college background in oracle bone script studies. "Many of the words we use now don't have a counterpart in the oracle bone script, which was mainly used by …

Oracle bone inscriptions stir half-century long passion of veteran archaeologist
1 year, 7 months ago

Oracle bone inscriptions stir half-century long passion of veteran archaeologist

China Daily  

Oracle bones on display at the National Museum of China in Beijing, March 10, 2023. First discovered in 1899 at the Yin Ruins in Anyang, central China's Henan, "Jiaguwen," or the oracle bone inscriptions named for their mysterious "scratches" on bits of animal bones and on tortoise shells, are considered the oldest fully-developed characters as well as the origin of …

Oracle bone inscriptions stir half-century long passion of veteran archaeologist
1 year, 7 months ago

Oracle bone inscriptions stir half-century long passion of veteran archaeologist

China Daily  

Oracle bones on display at the National Museum of China in Beijing, March 10, 2023. First discovered in 1899 at the Yin Ruins in Anyang, central China's Henan, "Jiaguwen," or the oracle bone inscriptions named for their mysterious "scratches" on bits of animal bones and on tortoise shells, are considered the oldest fully-developed characters as well as the origin of …

Book on oracle bones published
1 year, 7 months ago

Book on oracle bones published

China Daily  

The first two volumes of Yinxu Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Palace Museum Collection were newly published. The recently published first two volumes of the book, Yinxu Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Palace Museum Collection, cover more than 1,300 bones, the inscriptions on which include topics ranging from military affairs, astronomy and agriculture to tribute systems and sacrificial rituals. Zhu Hongwen, deputy …

Book on oracle bones published
1 year, 7 months ago

Book on oracle bones published

China Daily  

The first two volumes of Yinxu Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Palace Museum Collection were newly published. The recently published first two volumes of the book, Yinxu Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Palace Museum Collection, cover more than 1,300 bones, the inscriptions on which include topics ranging from military affairs, astronomy and agriculture to tribute systems and sacrificial rituals. Zhu Hongwen, deputy …

Book on oracle bones published
1 year, 7 months ago

Book on oracle bones published

China Daily  

A visitor views a sandalwood statue of Avalokitesvara Bodhisattva at the central gallery of the Meridian Gate of the Palace Museum in Beijing on Friday. The recently published first two volumes of the book, Yinxu Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Palace Museum Collection, cover more than 1,300 bones, the inscriptions on which include topics ranging from military affairs, astronomy and agriculture …

Book on oracle bones published
1 year, 7 months ago

Book on oracle bones published

China Daily  

The first two volumes of Yinxu Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Palace Museum Collection were newly published. The recently published first two volumes of the book, Yinxu Oracle Bone Inscriptions in Palace Museum Collection, cover more than 1,300 bones, the inscriptions on which include topics ranging from military affairs, astronomy and agriculture to tribute systems and sacrificial rituals. Zhu Hongwen, deputy …

China beefs up cultural relic protection with digital technology
1 year, 8 months ago

China beefs up cultural relic protection with digital technology

China Daily  

On April 18, an interactive digital platform called the "Digital Library Cave" was launched, featuring a virtual duplication of the Library Cave, employing digital technology to revive the relics for the benefit of both researchers and the general public. Another good example is an interactive digital platform of virtual oracle bone inscriptions that was made accessible to the public on …

Oracle bones provide a glimpse into history
2 years ago

Oracle bones provide a glimpse into history

China Daily  

A large quantity of oracle bones excavated from the Yinxu site in Anyang, Central China's Henan province, are housed at a museum there. In the Shang Dynasty, a lunar eclipse was also observed, and the scene was engraved on oracle bones. The recordings are helping researchers date the oracle bones and understand the course of the Shang Dynasty, and they …

Nanjing University launches project to study findings
2 years ago

Nanjing University launches project to study findings

China Daily  

Oracle bones housed in Nanjing University, Jiangsu province, that were donated by US Sinologist John Calvin Ferguson. About 600 pieces of oracle bones are now housed at Nanjing University Museum, making it the third-largest collection of its kind among Chinese colleges after Peking University and Tsinghua University, both in Beijing. They include Liu E, a famed novelist of the late …

Oracle bones provide a glimpse into history
2 years ago

Oracle bones provide a glimpse into history

China Daily  

A large quantity of oracle bones excavated from the Yinxu site in Anyang, Central China's Henan province, are housed at a museum there. In the Shang Dynasty, a lunar eclipse was also observed, and the scene was engraved on oracle bones. The recordings are helping researchers date the oracle bones and understand the course of the Shang Dynasty, and they …

Oracle bones provide a glimpse into history
2 years ago

Oracle bones provide a glimpse into history

China Daily  

Oracle bone found at the Yinxu site. Feng Shi, a researcher of the Institute of Archaeology affiliated to the CASS, says so far about 150,000 oracle bones have been found and more than 4,000 characters have been recognized, reflecting the many dimensions of the political and social lives of the Shang Dynasty. Song Zhenhao, one of the most prominent scholars …

Nanjing University launches project to study findings
2 years ago

Nanjing University launches project to study findings

China Daily  

Oracle bones housed in Nanjing University, Jiangsu province, that were donated by US Sinologist John Calvin Ferguson. About 600 pieces of oracle bones are now housed at Nanjing University Museum, making it the third-largest collection of its kind among Chinese colleges after Peking University and Tsinghua University, both in Beijing. They include Liu E, a famed novelist of the late …

Oracle bones provide a glimpse into history
2 years ago

Oracle bones provide a glimpse into history

China Daily  

A piece of oracle bone unearthed from the Yinxu site and its inked rubbing on paper. Artists' pursuits The oracle bone script appeals to not only scholars but also those outside the circles of archaeology and museology. Among people who brought the oracle bone script to the notice of the international community was Zao Wou-ki, a Chinese-French artist of world …

Wang Yirong: discoverer of jiaguwen in China
3 years, 1 month ago

Wang Yirong: discoverer of jiaguwen in China

China Daily  

A translation script of jiaguwen, or oracle-bone inscriptions. Wang Yirong, a scholar and antiquarian born in Yantai, was the first person to discover and certify jiaguwen, which refers to inscriptions on animal bones and tortoise shells, in China. Wang bought more than 1,500 pieces of oracle bones to carry out research into the origins of the inscriptions. This discovery of …

Yinxu National Archaeological Site Park
3 years, 7 months ago

Yinxu National Archaeological Site Park

China Daily  

Yinxu National Archeological Site Park 殷墟考古遗址公园 Address: Xiaotun village, Anyang city, Henan province Hours: Site of palaces and ancestral temples: 8:00 am - 5:30 pm 8:00 am - 5:00 pm Site of imperial tombs: 8:30 am - 5:30 pm 8:30 am - 5:00 pm General admission: 70 yuan Tel: 3161022/3932171 The site of the excavation of oracle bones at the …

TV program sheds light on Shang Dynasty
3 years, 7 months ago

TV program sheds light on Shang Dynasty

China Daily  

Poster of The Big History of China The Big History of China, an online program which aims to shed light on the lesser-known details of ancient society, has recently aired the first season on Henan Satellite TV and the streaming site Youku. Consisting of 10 episodes, the program centers on the transitions taking place near or during Shang Dynasty, reflecting …

The bone collector
3 years, 9 months ago

The bone collector

China Daily  

Liu introduces oracle bones to visitors at the Yinxu Museum in Anyang, Henan province. Her 2006 work Jiaguwen Shuji Tiyao is a guide to academic studies of oracle bone inscriptions not just in China, but also abroad. In Anyang, considered the "hometown" of oracle bones, primary schools have calligraphy courses based on oracle bone inscriptions, she says. Modern technology is …

The bone collector
3 years, 9 months ago

The bone collector

China Daily  

Liu Yiman, who worked as an archaeologist with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, goes through a book she compiled on archaeological discoveries of oracle bones in China. The bones Liu has worked with in Anyang, Henan province, for all those years are very special－oracle bones that have told us so much about Chinese history stretching back thousands of years. …

The bone collector
3 years, 9 months ago

The bone collector

China Daily  

Liu Yiman, who worked as an archaeologist with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, goes through a book she compiled on archaeological discoveries of oracle bones in China. The bones Liu has worked with in Anyang, Henan province, for all those years are very special－oracle bones that have told us so much about Chinese history stretching back thousands of years. …

The bone collector
3 years, 9 months ago

The bone collector

China Daily  

Liu Yiman, who worked as an archaeologist with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, goes through a book she compiled on archaeological discoveries of oracle bones in China. History teachers come in at least two varieties: those whose lessons are so fascinating that students are keen to flip open their textbooks to find out more; and those whose lessons are …

The bone collector
3 years, 9 months ago

The bone collector

China Daily  

The archaeologist poses for a photo amid an excavation of a chariot and horse pit in Anyang in 1992. In Anyang, considered the "hometown" of oracle bones, primary schools have calligraphy courses based on oracle bone inscriptions, she says. Modern technology is also being employed to help inspire interest in history, with emojis depicting oracle bone inscriptions being used to …

The bone collector
3 years, 9 months ago

The bone collector

China Daily  

Liu Yiman, who worked as an archaeologist with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, goes through a book she compiled on archaeological discoveries of oracle bones in China. History teachers come in at least two varieties: those whose lessons are so fascinating that students are keen to flip open their textbooks to find out more; and those whose lessons are …

The National Museum of Chinese Writing
4 years, 9 months ago

The National Museum of Chinese Writing

China Daily  

An oracle bone on display at the National Museum of Chinese Writing in Anyang, Henan province. The National Museum of Chinese Writing near the Yin Ruins of Anyang in Central China's Henan province has prepared an online exhibition A history of Chinese writing charactersto illustrate the evolution of China's millennia-old writing characters. Yin was the last capital of the Shang …

The National Museum of Chinese Writing
4 years, 9 months ago

The National Museum of Chinese Writing

China Daily  

An oracle bone on display at the National Museum of Chinese Writing in Anyang, Henan province. The National Museum of Chinese Writing near the Yin Ruins of Anyang in Central China's Henan province has prepared an online exhibition A history of Chinese writing charactersto illustrate the evolution of China's millennia-old writing characters. Yin was the last capital of the Shang …

Yearender: Top 10 exhibitions in China
5 years ago

Yearender: Top 10 exhibitions in China

China Daily  

The photo on the left is a piece of oracle bone written with jiaguwen, the earliest known form of Chinese writing that dates back 3,000 years, while the photo on the right is a jiaguwen meme, meaning "add oil". Grand showcase of oracle bone scripts The National Museum of China Jiaguwen, or the oracle bone inscriptions, are the earliest known …

Top 10 exhibitions in China
5 years ago

Top 10 exhibitions in China

China Daily  

The photo on the left is a piece of oracle bone written with jiaguwen, the earliest known form of Chinese writing that dates back 3,000 years, while the photo on the right is a jiaguwen meme, meaning "add oil". Grand showcase of oracle bone scripts The National Museum of China Jiaguwen, or the oracle bone inscriptions, are the earliest known …

Making their mark
5 years, 1 month ago

Making their mark

China Daily  

A Shang Dynasty square ding vessel is on show at an ongoing exhibition at the National Museum of China. An exhibition at the National Museum is presenting China's ancient writing system on oracle bones to a wider contemporary audience, Lin Qi reports. Late Chinese-French artist Zao Wou-ki said in the early 1950s that while Paris had an undeniable artistic influence …

Making their mark
5 years, 1 month ago

Making their mark

China Daily  

A jade object of the same era. Zhao Yong, the exhibition's chief curator, says, "Zheng gu literally means 'testimony to history', and it shows how the oracle bones are the well-preserved written records from the early phases of Chinese civilization, and are duly recognized as evidence of ancient Chinese culture. "And ze jin conveys how the symbols on the oracle …

Making their mark
5 years, 1 month ago

Making their mark

China Daily  

Another oracle bone from the same era. It was only brought back to light 120 years ago when the oracle bones were rediscovered and initially mistaken for medical remedies. Interest in them was reignited among historians and scholars, as tens of thousands of inscribed oracle bones were dug up from the Yin Ruins in Anyang, Henan province. Among them was …

Making their mark
5 years, 1 month ago

Making their mark

China Daily  

A Shang Dynasty square ding vessel is on show at an ongoing exhibition at the National Museum of China. An exhibition at the National Museum is presenting China's ancient writing system on oracle bones to a wider contemporary audience, Lin Qi reports. Late Chinese-French artist Zao Wou-ki said in the early 1950s that while Paris had an undeniable artistic influence …

Exhibition opens to mark discovery of inscribed oracle bones
5 years, 2 months ago

Exhibition opens to mark discovery of inscribed oracle bones

China Daily  

Oracle bones, bronze wares and jade objects dating back to late Shang and Zhou dynasties are on show at the National Museum of China through Dec 22. The discovery of 300-year-old oracle-bone inscriptions in 1899 has ignited the interest of scholars and antique connoisseurs in the studies of the antecedents of Chinese characters. As the country marks the 120th anniversary …

Overseas teens learn about ancient Chinese characters
5 years, 6 months ago

Overseas teens learn about ancient Chinese characters

China Daily  

More than 30 overseas Chinese teenagers from Germany, Russia and other countries visited the Wang Yirong Museum in Yantai, East China's Shandong province on July 9 to explore the origin and evolution of Chinese characters. Chinese teenagers learn about oracle-bone inscriptions at Wang Yirong Museum, Fushan district, Yantai, East China's Shandong province on July 9. Mao Min, an expert on …

China oracle bones calligraphy exhibition launched at UN headquarters
5 years, 8 months ago

China oracle bones calligraphy exhibition launched at UN headquarters

China Daily  

An exhibition on calligraphy art of Chinese oracle bones was launched Wednesday evening at the UN headquarters in honor of the 120th anniversary of the discovery of Chinese oracle bones. Held by the Oracle Art Research Center of China's Anyang University, the exhibition gathered some 20 pieces of oracle bone calligraphy created by several artists, and these works reproduced the …

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