Predicting the future with turtle shells
Oracle bone, Shang Dynasty, 13th–12th centuries BCE, China. Musée Guimet, Paris, France
(Photo: Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
How did ancient Chinese kings predict the future with turtle shells? Why did Shang dynasty king Wu Ding use turtle shells and animal bones to resolve his terrible toothache?
Oracle bone, Shang Dynasty, 13th–12th centuries BCE, China. Musée Guimet, Paris, France
(Photo: Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank, CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Journey back in time to ancient China during the Shang dynasty, where kings used turtle shells and animal bones to predict the future and find answers to their questions. Discover how King Wu Ding used divination to try to resolve his annoying toothache and learn about China’s earliest writing system.
Our video about oracle bones uncovers the secrets of the oldest writings on ancient Chinese oracle bones!
Check out our video page!
Here is what the video covers:
0:00 Introduction to oracle bones during the Shang dynasty in ancient China
0:48 The ancient city of Yin, home to King Wu Ding and Queen Fu Hao
1:04 King Wu Ding, ruler of the Shang dynasty
1:11 The invention of writing in China / The Chinese writing system
1:33 Writing on turtle shells and animal bones, called oracle bones
1:45 King Wu Ding’s worries about his kingdom, his family, and bad luck 2:09 Shang beliefs about ancestors and ancestor veneration
2:39 Divination and fortune telling in ancient China
3:20 The king’s divination ceremony
5:13 The writing on the bones
6:05 Conclusion and why these bones are important in history
