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1923.20.2

Piece of bone engraved with very early Chinese characters, Han period.

On display

1923.20.2

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Collection type
Object
Description
Piece of bone engraved with very early Chinese characters, Han period.
Geographical reference
China
Asia > Eastern Asia > China
Date / Period
Date made: 206 BC - AD 220 Archaeological period: Han Dynasty
Date collected
1922
Acquisition information
Donated: 1923
Materials and processes
Material Bone, Process Inscribed
Dimensions
Length: max 53 mm
Object numbers
Accession number: 1923.20.2
Research and responses

A note from Peichao Qin, PhD student in the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Cambridge: I can confirm without a doubt that these are indeed oracle bones (ca. 1250 - 1050 B.C.E, late Shang dynasty). The two bones are both ox scapula fragments (from same or different scapula). It's a bit difficult to tell which part of the scapula is the left bone from, but the right bone, is near the caudal or cranial side of the scapula, whose right edge is also the natural edge of the bone.

As for the inscriptions, the left bone reads:

1). ...𪭑... (piercing/puncturing through)

2). ...[unknown character], 㞢羊，[其]... (provide offerings of sheep to)

, where there are two inscription units (or possibly just one without knowing the context), in which it mainly records an you-ritual to offer some shape to one of their ancestors.

The right bone reads:

貞：乎子央㞢于母己.

, which means "Tested: Commands Ziyang to provide offerings to Ancestress Ji."

Interesting enough, these two bones seem to have not been published before. In 1985, a team of researchers has investigated all known 11 collections in UK, both public and private, and published rubbings of a total of 2674 oracle bones as a book named Oracle Bone Collections In Great Britain. But the Pitt Rivers Museum is not one of them (only the 33 pieces in Ashmolean Museum is included).

Note: the information on the display box shows a discrepancy in the period/date for these fragments, ie Sang Period, c.1000-1500 B.C.

Search terms: Writing, Specimen, Animalia, Inscription, Bone, Animal Part

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