Mysterious disappearance of Shell-Bone Script
Shell-Bone Script is the oldest script. The earliest physical shells or bones with Shell-Bone script characters discovered was back to Shang Dynasty, about 3600 years ago. We can believe that the Shell-Bone script was created much earlier than 3600 years ago.
At that time, people didn’t write on the Shell or Bone with brush and ink, they carved pictograph characters on the shells or bones. They didn’t have brush and ink. Shell-Bone script was used for divination at that time. People wrote inscription on shells or bones, then put them on fire, after burning them for some time, they looked for the cracks. People believed that the cracks on burned shells or bones with inscription could tell good or bad luck. People made decision based on the explanation of the cracks.
However, all facts above had not been known for more than 3500 years. The Shell-Bone script had just disappeared without any trace. They didn’t show any signs for more than 3000 years, people didn't know there was an oldest script exist until 1899 when Mr. Yirong Wang (王懿荣）, a famous epigraphy expert, noticed some mysterious carved marks on shells and bones in Chinese medicine he bought for his illness. He was very familiar the ancient characters. He was attracted by the carved marks, and soon found that at least some of the marks were meaningful characters, he could understand the rest. After his discovery was made to public, more experts started to study the marks on old shells and bones. People finally realized that those marks on old shells and bones were the oldest Chinese characters, many of them were similar as the modern characters.
Because those characters were on shells or bones, so people called them Shell-Bone Script.
The above table is some known Shell-Bone script characters.
Even though they are clear to experts, but people may still have problem to recognize them all. It will be more difficult for non Chinese speakers. However, some are so clear, every one could understand. For example, in the third row from the top, the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th from left are character 車 （car, vehicle) . You can see the wheels. In the fifth row for top, the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th are all character 齒 (tooth, or teeth). You can see many teeth in a mouth. In the sixth row from top, the 4th, 5th characters are character 蟲 (insect).
As people have put big efforts on figuring out the meaning of Shell-Bone script characters, little or no attention has been paid to the mystery of disappearing of shell-bone script. Occasionally someone asked the question, few people responded. What did happen to cause Shell-Bone script disappearing? No one has answered the question. By my knowledge, there is no any seriously study on this topic ever. We found 150,000 pieces shells and bones with the characters, there may be more pieces not found yet, and even more were destroyed during 3500+ years. Why so many pieces of shells and bones with characters had disappeared for 3500 years, even no any record mentioned in history documents? What happened?
The shells and bones with Shell-Bone script characters disappeared, but the late scripts - Small Seal, Bronze (characters on Bronze), Clerical, Standard scripts all have some degree similar as Shell-Bone script. Otherwise experts would have been impossible to figure out and interpret the Shell-Bone script characters. So even though Shell-Bone script physcially disappeared but they passed their "genes" to late scripts, which is mystery too.
Even though they are clear to experts, but people may still have problem to recognize them all. It will be more difficult for non Chinese speakers. However, some are so clear, every one could understand. For example, in the third row from the top, the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th from left are character 車 （car, vehicle) . You can see the wheels. In the fifth row for top, the 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th are all character 齒 (tooth, or teeth). You can see many teeth in a mouth. In the sixth row from top, the 4th, 5th characters are character 蟲 (insect).
As people have put big efforts on figuring out the meaning of Shell-Bone script characters, little or no attention has been paid to the mystery of disappearing of shell-bone script. Occasionally someone asked the question, few people responded. What did happen to cause Shell-Bone script disappearing? No one has answered the question. By my knowledge, there is no any seriously study on this topic ever. We found 150,000 pieces shells and bones with the characters, there may be more pieces not found yet, and even more were destroyed during 3500+ years. Why so many pieces of shells and bones with characters had disappeared for 3500 years, even no any record mentioned in history documents? What happened?
The shells and bones with Shell-Bone script characters disappeared, but the late scripts - Small Seal, Bronze (characters on Bronze), Clerical, Standard scripts all have some degree similar as Shell-Bone script. Otherwise experts would have been impossible to figure out and interpret the Shell-Bone script characters. So even though Shell-Bone script physcially disappeared but they passed their "genes" to late scripts, which is mystery too.
Above characters from top to bottom: Sun, Moon, Car, Horse.
The script types from left to right: Shell-Bone, Bronze, Small Seal, Clerical, Standard
We can see all late scripts are some degree similar with the Shell-Bone script.
As people have put big efforts on figuring out the meaning of Shell-Bone script characters, little or non attention has been paid to the mystery of disappearing of shell-bone script. Occasionally someone asked the question, few people responded. What did happen to cause Shell-Bone script disappearing? No one has answered the question. By my knowledge, there is no any seriously study on this topic ever. We found 150,000 pieces shells and bones with the characters, there may be more pieces not found yet, and even more were destroyed during 3500+ years. So many pieces shells and bones with characters disappeared, even no any record in any history documents. What happened?
It is very important for us to find out the reason why. If we can breakthrough the puzzle, we may have to rewrite Chinese history especially on Chinese culture, and Chinese calligraphy. I hope that Chinese government and history experts pay more attention to this topic.
The script types from left to right: Shell-Bone, Bronze, Small Seal, Clerical, Standard
We can see all late scripts are some degree similar with the Shell-Bone script.
As people have put big efforts on figuring out the meaning of Shell-Bone script characters, little or non attention has been paid to the mystery of disappearing of shell-bone script. Occasionally someone asked the question, few people responded. What did happen to cause Shell-Bone script disappearing? No one has answered the question. By my knowledge, there is no any seriously study on this topic ever. We found 150,000 pieces shells and bones with the characters, there may be more pieces not found yet, and even more were destroyed during 3500+ years. So many pieces shells and bones with characters disappeared, even no any record in any history documents. What happened?
It is very important for us to find out the reason why. If we can breakthrough the puzzle, we may have to rewrite Chinese history especially on Chinese culture, and Chinese calligraphy. I hope that Chinese government and history experts pay more attention to this topic.
Note: Update information
1, Amazing Chinese Characters blog has changed name to Learn Chinese with Pictography, and changed its URL address too, the new URL is
Learn Chinese with Pictography.blogspot.com/
2, Pictographic Chinese Calligraphy blog has changed name to Chinese Pictographic Calligraphy, and the new URL is
Chinese Pictographic Calligraphy.blogspot.com/
You are welcome to access the new sites for Chinese learning. Please update your bookmarks.
No comments:
Post a Comment