# Canonical recap data for Shang Oracle Bone Records (1300)
# Source: https://recap.at/1300/shang-oracle-bones
# Format: YAML 1.2 (UTF-8). Generated at request time.
slug: shang-oracle-bones
canonicalUrl: "https://recap.at/1300/shang-oracle-bones"
title: Shang Oracle Bone Records
subtitle: Inscribed bones reveal early divination-based decision-making ceremonies used by Shang rulers to determine governance, warfare, and succession in ancient China.
recapType: global_event
eventStatus: concluded
startDate: 1300-01-01
datePrecision: year
year: 1300
decade: 1300
country:
name: China
slug: china
summaryShort: 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 we
summaryLong: 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.
heroImageUrl: "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c9/Orakelknochen.JPG/1280px-Orakelknochen.JPG"
heroImageCredit: Wikipedia · "Oracle bone"
importance: 71
sourceConfidence: 75
keyFacts: []
timeline: []
sources:
- url: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_bone"
  title: Shang oracle bone
  provider: Wikipedia
related: []
categories:
- election
metaDescription: 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. S
wikidataQid: Q283127
archiveSnapshots:
- url: "https://web.archive.org/web/20260617142712/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_bone"
  capturedAt: 2026-06-17
  label: Shang oracle bone
  originalUrl: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_bone"
