Shang Dynasty
Unearthed from Yin Ruins in Anyang City, Henan Province
32.2 cm long, 19.8 cm wide
This is an ox blade bone plate with inscriptions on events. There are 4 inscriptions on the front of the bone tablet and 2 on the back, a total of more than 160 words, filled with ink. The first one on the front records that King Wu Ding of Shang Dynasty sacrificed to Zhongding; the second one records that Zi fell into a chariot while hunting; the third one records Zi's death; and the fourth one is that Zi Yin used ten Qiang people to hold a suitable sacrifice. The reverse side records the celestial phenomena. This inscription is well preserved and is of great value to the study of the social history and astronomy and meteorology of the Shang Dynasty.
Obverse of inscriptions on cow bones painted with vermilion for sacrificial hunting
Front side of inscriptions on cow bones painted with vermilion for sacrificial hunting (detail)
Front rubbing of ox bone painted with vermilion for sacrificial hunting
The back of the ox bone painted with vermilion for sacrificial hunting
The back of the ox bone painted with vermilion for sacrificial hunting
