Oracle Bone Script

Oracle Bone Script

Oracle bone script, which emerged in the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 B.C.), is the earliest mature writing system in China. The source of Chinese characters and the foundation of China's excellent traditional culture, it was used for divination to inquire about good and bad luck. Currently, the Yin ruins in Xiaotun Village, Anyang, Henan Province, is the largest excavation site for oracle bone script. The oracle bone inscriptions unearthed from the Yin ruins provide important evidence of the existence of the Shang Dynasty as recorded in ancient history. This archaeological discovery has significantly extended the recorded history of China, pushing it back by approximately a millennium.

On Nov. 24, 2017, after an evaluation by the International Advisory Committee of the UNESCO Memory of the World Programme, oracle bone script was added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. Today, the study of oracle bone script has developed into a global discipline which is of great importance in promoting human civilization and progress.

甲骨文

甲骨文是商朝晚期出现的中国最早的成熟文字系统，是汉字的源头和中华优秀传统文化的根脉， 用以求神问卜，得知吉凶祸福。目前河南安阳小屯村的殷墟遗址是甲骨文最大的发掘地。殷墟出土的甲骨文，证实了古史记载中商王朝的存在，将中国有文字记载的历史的上限提早了约一千年。

2017年11月24日，甲骨文顺利通过联合国教科文组织世界记忆工程国际咨询委员会的评审，成功入选世界记忆名录。如今，甲骨学已成为一门蔚为壮观的世界性学科，其文字学研究对促进人类文明进步具有重要意义。