---
title: "Shang Oracle Bone Records"
year: 1300
country: "China"
canonical: "https://recap.at/1300/shang-oracle-bones"
slug: "shang-oracle-bones"
recapType: "global_event"
startDate: "1300-01-01"
---

# Shang Oracle Bone Records

> Inscribed bones reveal early divination-based decision-making ceremonies used by Shang rulers to determine governance, warfare, and succession in ancient China.

## Summary

Oracle bones are pieces of ox scapula and turtle plastron which were used in pyromancy – a form of divination – during the Late Shang period in ancient China. Scapulimancy is the specific term if ox scapulae were used for the divination, plastromancy if turtle plastrons were used. A recent count estimated that there were about 13,000 bones with a total of a little over 130,000 inscriptions in collections in China and some fourteen other countries.

## Sources

- [Shang oracle bone](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_bone) - Wikipedia

---
Canonical: https://recap.at/1300/shang-oracle-bones