Why did they stop using oracle bones?

The use of oracle bones declined as the I-Ching, a fortune-telling manual using hexagrams and yarrow sticks, became popular in the Zhou Dynasty.

Oracle Bones

Q: How are oracle bones related to Chinese characters?

The symbols carved on oracle bones eventually became words and a recognizable Chinese script developed from this practice.

Server Costs Fundraiser 2024

Help our mission to provide free history education to the world! Please donate and contribute to covering our server costs in 2024. With your support, millions of people learn about history entirely for free every month.

$3926 / $18000

❤ Donate

Definition

Oracle Bones (also known as Dragon's Bones) were the shoulder blades of oxen or plastrons of turtles (the flat underside of the turtle's shell) which were used in the Shang Dynasty of China (c. 1600-1046 BCE) for divination. The symbols carved on the bones eventually became words and a recognizable Chinese script developed from this practice.

More about: Oracle Bones

Timeline

c. 1250 BCE - 1046 BCE
Oracle Bones in use in China during the Shang Dynasty.