Reading of Shāng Inscriptions [1st ed.] 9789811562136, 9789811562143

Table of contents :
Front Matter ....Pages i-xiii
Gānzhī Cycle (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 1-4
The Millet Harvest (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 5-10
Fifteen Dogs (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 11-13
Rain in the First Month (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 15-19
Rain from the East (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 21-23
From Daybreak to Morning (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 25-28
Tricolored Clouds (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 29-32
Heavy Rain (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 33-35
Encounter Gusty Wind (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 37-39
Strong Gale (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 41-44
Rainbow Appears (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 45-48
Xīn Day Brightened Up (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 49-52
Changing Date (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 53-55
East is Called Xī (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 57-60
Performing Dì- Ritual to Northern Fāng (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 61-64
Burnt Offering to the East Mother (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 65-68
New Big Star (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 69-71
Bird Star (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 73-76
Eclipse of Sun and Moon (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 77-81
Xún No Disaster (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 83-86
Moon Was Eclipsed (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 87-89
Night Wind (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 91-94
Flag Shows No Wind (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 95-97
Pacifying Wind (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 99-101
Wine Libation and Bundle Ceremony (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 103-106
Ten Shì with Rams (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 107-110
From Sh`ng Jiă to Duō Hòu (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 111-115
Ten and Three Shì (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 117-119
Yì-Ritual for Sh`ng Jiă on jiăxū (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 121-123
King D`Yĭ with Queen Bĭ Bĭng (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 125-127
Ceremonial Yòu Suì for Brother Jĭ (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 129-131
Arrived at Temple of Hé (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 133-135
Liáo for Hé, Wáng H`i, and Sh`ng Jiă (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 137-139
Yòu-Ritual for Táng (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 141-143
Liáo Ritual for Náo (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 145-147
High Ancestor Náo (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 149-151
Liáo-Ritual for Miè (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 153-154
Yòu-Ritual for Wáng Héng (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 155-156
Liáo-Ritual for Tŭ with Pig (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 157-159
Yòu Ritual for Huáng Yĭn (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 161-163
Yòu-Ritual for Yī Yĭn (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 165-167
Shè Téng Takes Qiāng (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 169-173
Sinking Three Goats (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 175-177
Bēng at Wŭ Yĭ Temple (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 179-181
Yòu Father Dīng (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 183-185
Three Rì Rituals (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 187-189
Jĭ from King Sh`ng Jiă (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 191-194
Yòu-Ritual for Sun (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 195-198
Exorcise Lady Hǎo Against Bǐ Gēng (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 199-201
Exorcise Fú Xuán (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 203-205
Shí Qiāng (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 207-209
High Ancestor Wáng H`i (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 211-214
Jì Cái Xié Rituals (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 215-219
Ceremonial Codex Presentation (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 221-225
Raid My West Border Field (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 227-232
King Forms Alliance with W`ng Chéng (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 233-237
Earth and Heaven Not Agreeable (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 239-241
Expedition Against Marquis Yán of Yúfāng (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 243-246
Stationed at Qí (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 247-249
The King Came to Attack Rénfāng (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 251-254
The King Went to Attack Gōngfāng (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 255-258
Reconnaissance About Gōngfāng (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 259-262
Supply Five Thousand Men (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 263-265
Zhĭ Guó Presented Codex (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 267-270
Shock and Awe Against Tǔfāng (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 271-273
The King Established Three Divisions (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 275-277
Command Royal Clan to Chase Zh`ofāng (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 279-282
Three Clans (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 283-284
No Commotion This Evening (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 285-287
Display Royal Troop (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 289-292
Officer Zhōng Reported Elk (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 293-295
Hunting at Jī (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 297-299
A Day of Hunting (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 301-304
Safe Hunting Trip (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 305-308
Elephant Captured (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 309-311
Six Deer Captured (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 313-316
Chased Rhinoceros (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 317-319
Seven Rhinos Captured (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 321-323
Zǐ Yāng Fell (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 325-328
King Went Hunting (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 329-331
Eight Peacock Captured (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 333-335
Encountered Heavy Rain (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 337-339
Big Tiger Captured (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 341-344
Inspecting Cattle at Dūn (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 345-348
Continuing Fishing (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 349-351
Thirty Thousand Fish (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 353-354
Chase Deer of Shuǐ (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 355-357
East Land Received Harvest (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 359-362
We Received Millet Harvest (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 363-365
Yuè Hé Náo (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 367-368
Calming Locust at Deity Sǔn (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 369-372
Not Having Abundant Harvest (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 373-375
King Orders Opening Land (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 377-380
Plowing Jointly (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 381-383
Crop Inspection (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 385-386
Pray for Childbearing (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 387-389
Fù Hǎo Gave Birth (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 391-394
Toothache (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 395-397
Nose Pain (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 399-401
Fāng Swayed from the East (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 403-405
King’s Inspectional Campaign (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 407-411
King Established Settlement (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 413-415
Dì Damaged This Settlement (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 417-419
Dì Terminated This Settlement (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 421-424
Adding Lù Qĭ (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 425-427
Zhǐ Managed Royal Affairs (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 429-431
West Minister Zhǐ (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 433-435
Mining the Ore (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 437-439
Royal Inspection (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 441-443
Inspect the S`ng Field (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 445-448
Today Perambulate at Lè (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 449-452
Coming News (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 453-455
Music Performance (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 457-460
The King Enters the Shāng (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 461-465
Banquet at West Temple-Gate (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 467-470
The Dīng Personally Attack Sh`o (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 471-473
Suì Ancestor Zǔ Jiǎ (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 475-476
Sheep for the Yí-Ritual (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 477-478
The King Chased (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 479-480
To Calm Wind at Four Corners (Kuang Yu Chen, Zhenhao Song, Yuan Liu, Matthew Anderson)....Pages 481-483
Back Matter ....Pages 485-558

Citation preview

Kuang Yu Chen · Zhenhao Song · Yuan Liu · Matthew Anderson

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Kuang Yu Chen • Zhenhao Song Yuan Liu • Matthew Anderson

•

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

123

Kuang Yu Chen Rutgers University Piscataway, NJ, USA Yuan Liu Institute of Ancient History Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Beijing, China

Zhenhao Song Institute of Ancient History Chinese Academy of Social Sciences Beijing, China Matthew Anderson Seattle, WA, USA

ISBN 978-981-15-6213-6 ISBN 978-981-15-6214-3 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3

(eBook)

Jointly published with Shanghai People’s Publishing House The print edition is not for sale in China Mainland. Customers from China Mainland please order the print book from: Shanghai People’s Publishing House. © Shanghai People’s Publishing House 2020 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are reserved by the Publishers, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar methodology now known or hereafter developed. The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use. The publishers, the authors, and the editors are safe to assume that the advice and information in this book are believed to be true and accurate at the date of publication. Neither the publishers nor the authors or the editors give a warranty, express or implied, with respect to the material contained herein or for any errors or omissions that may have been made. The publishers remain neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations. This Springer imprint is published by the registered company Springer Nature Singapore Pte Ltd. The registered company address is: 152 Beach Road, #21-01/04 Gateway East, Singapore 189721, Singapore




'PSFXPSE



                     ! " #$%#!  &   '  !  !(  (  &(  ! hànzì
 (   ,-(   (      .  /011 11BCE
,
 (           &    (   (    !
    !  !
(2  !  3456
   Jiǎgǔwén   2 &3,
inscriptions engraved on hundreds of thousands of bones and shells ! ( !         ,6& 456:# ;    !      , 5   :#  (    & (8?@AB C BCE
 Shǐjì The Records of Grand Historian
, 4 !  456
  (   &' ! F  (    & ( !   (  ,-  !( &   ! ,-(  (    & (    (   ! ,
  456   ! !         (    (!   (!      &  (   *  ,.!  456         ! ! & &  ' !   ! (  ( F   !

have long enjoyed. In fact, there are only a very few scholarly books in English that focus on OBI (e.g. Sources of Shāng History, 1978, 1985; The Ancestral Landscape, 2000; Working for His Majesty, 2012; written by David Keightley, University of California, Berkeley, and Studies of Fascicle Three of Inscriptions from the Yin Ruins, 2010, by Ken-ichi Takashima, University of British Columbia) and there are virtually no books for the general public in the West to learn about OBI. This can be contrasted with the tens or even hundreds of books on Mayan and Egyptian hieroglyphs and civilizations found on online book selling sites such as Amazon.com.
          456         (    N  OP#%Q 
&K 
 J&MR;*SK 
N  O
M6E# RT S K 
,
 

  456 CAU@=@4.  !(

v

vi

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

 :
.!(  -I  EK  Q& O  (  ,
 ( (  >,
(    > a collection of 120 pieces of rubbings (tàběn), mainly from the corpus of Jiǎgǔwén Héjí 甲骨文合集 (Collections of Oracle Bones) that contain inscriptions covering a wide array of topics including weather, astronomy, kingship, sacrificial ceremonies, rituals, agriculture, hunting, military campaigns and politics. Each rubbing is accompanied by a clear tracing ( móběn), which will be helpful in case the graphs on rubbing are not clearly legible. The direct graph-to-graph transcription in digital OBI font will help the reader to become familiar with the sequence and   456 ,
 

 (456! ' ! H   (! &  '       !!  ((       , L     !  
 >          ! &  ' -  * '  !,E > &  &  456 ! 7 >   F   ' !   !   (  !,6 >  >'   456 ! > &       7 ,. !!    >6        &N   ISWOSSK  XRY#  6 $   -(   ,6(  .,IW#&   !   (! N  .
*EK  &   ((  ' ! (! ,5 XRY# IW#  !! ! 7   (!  ,.,F& -   ( =11C456 !&! 456  '
(  '  !  ,.,R+P8 )   N   X & >,:   ! >    (! ,6 &  6(  ! 

 ((> (,L 6& >( & -I    !! ,

Kuang Yu Chen

&YQMBOBUPSZ
/PUFT


1. The main body of this book is a collection of 120 pieces of oracle bone inscriptions (OBI) from the late Shāng Dynasty (~1300-1046 BCE). The inscriptions deal with many aspects of Shāng royal house, including calendar, astronomy, royal kinship, sacrificial rituals, hunting, agriculture, and war. For each piece we present rubbings (tàběn 拓 本 ), tracings (móběn 摹 本 ), text in OBI font, transcription in English, reading (straight translation in English), annotations and practice. The book is intended for readers who are interested in Shāng civilization and Early China. The book can be used as either a textbook for teaching or a tutorial for self-learning. 2. The primary source of OBI inscriptions used in this book is ink-squeezed rubbings from Jiǎgǔwén héjí 甲骨文合集 (Collections of Oracle Bones). Only a few came from other collections. As the quality of rubbings varies, we provide móběn, which means ‘tracing or line drawing,’ to ensure that all graphs are clearly legible. To facilitate the reading of OBI inscriptions directly on the bone or plastron, the order of reading is indicated on móběn by arrows. 3. In addition, we present the OBI characters in a text format using digital OBI font so that the reader can easily compare the OBI text with the transcribed text in English. 4. Transcription: We have provided a graph-to-graph transcription of OBI in English to help the reader to appreciate how the English reading of the inscription comes about. In the transcription, missing OBI graph or graphs (due to damage) are indicated by‘…’. The bracket sign [ ] is used to indicate the missing graphs that can be reconstructed based on the context. 5. Reading: The OBI inscriptions are translated in English in a straightforward style. With regard to the graph zhen (貞) used in the Preface of the Charge, scholars are divided on whether zhen (貞) was an indicative or an interrogative verb. Depending on the context, we treat zhen (貞) as an indicative verb, and the charge as a prayer or statement. Occasionally, we follow the original definition of zhen (貞) in Shuowen 說文 (Explanation of Graphs) and treat it as an interrogative verb and the charge as a question. 6. Annotation: We first give the source of the OBI rubbing and then the diviner group of that oracle bone piece according to Jiǎgǔwénhéjí Fēnzǔfènlèi Zǒngbiǎo 甲 骨 文 合 集 分 組 分 類 總 表 (Periodization and Classification of Oracle Bone Collections). Although most of the inscriptions cannot be precisely dated, they can be roughly dated by the reigns of kings, based on a number of criteria, including the name of diviner, the style of inscriptions, the ancestral titles used. Thus, every piece of oracle bone inscription can be assigned into one of the five periods, from King Wu Ding to King Di Xin. Within each Period, the bone inscriptions can be further grouped into several clusters according to the engraving styles (see Annotataion of Piece 2). The reader can consult Jiǎgǔwénzì Gǔlín《甲骨文字詁林》 (A Forest of Oracle Bone Graphs) for more detailed information and

vii

viii

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

references related to the annotation of each OBI graph. The translation of Chinese personal name follows the standard Pinyin, except for scholars from Hong Kong, Taiwan and overseas, who may have used other spelling methods. 7. Practice: We have included one to four additional rubbings containing inscriptions relevant to the selected piece. Learning to read these rubbings can serve as tutorial practice. 8. The book includes the following appendices: Appendix 1: Vocabulary List Appendix 2: References and Bibliography Appendix 3: Introduction to Oracle Bone Scholarship Appendix 4: Gānzhī Table (Table of Sixty Day Cycle) Appendix 5: King List (adapted from “Jiǎgǔxué Jiǎnjiè” 《甲骨學簡介》). Appendix 6: Five-Ritual Cycle (adapted from “Shāngdài Zhōujì Zhìdù” 《商代周祭制度》). Appendix 7: A comparison of OBI with Egyptian, Sumerian and Mayan Scripts

$POUFOUT

v

Foreword

vii

Explanatory Notes

Title

*Source

Page no.

1

Gānzhī Cycle

24440

1

2

The Millet Harvest

09950

5

3

Fifteen Dogs

29537

11

4

Rain in the First Month

12487

15

5

Rain from the East

12870

21

6

From Daybreak to Morning

T624

25

7

Tricolored Clouds

13399

29

8

Heavy Rain

30048

33

9

Encounter Gusty Wind

30238

37

10

Strong Gale

00137

41

11

Rainbow Appears

10406

45

12

Xīn Day Brightened Up

30190

49

13

Changing Date

13271

53

14

East is Called Xī

14294

57

15

Performing Dì- Ritual to Northern Fāng

14295

61

16

Burnt Offering to the East Mother

14340

65

17

New Big Star

11503

69

18

Bird Star

11497

73

19

Eclipse of Sun and Moon

33694

77

20




Xún No Disaster

11482

83

21




Moon was Eclipsed

11485

87

Night Wind

13338

91

Flag Shows No Wind

07369

95

Pacifying Wind

34138

99

22 23 24





ix

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

x

25





26

Wine Libation and Bundle Ceremony

32384

103

Ten Shì with Rams

32385

107

37836

111

Ten and Three Shì

34117

117


From Shàng Jiă to Duō Hòu

27


28 29




Yì-Ritual for Shàng Jiă on jiăxū

35406

121

30




30King Dà Yĭ with Queen Bĭ Bĭng

36194

125

31




Ceremonial Yòu Suì for Brother Jĭ

27615

129

32


Arrived at Temple of Hé

34294

133

33


Liáo for Hé, Wáng Hài, and Shàng Jiă

01182

137

34




Yòu-Ritual for Táng

01273

141

35




Liáo-Ritual for Náo

14369

145

High Ancestor Náo

30398

149

Liáo-Ritual for Miè

14804

153

Yòu-Ritual for Wáng Héng

14762

155

Liáo-Ritual for Tŭ with Pig

34185

157

36


37




38


39 40




Yòu-Ritual for Huáng Yĭn

00563

161

41




Yòu-Ritual for Yī Yĭn

34192

165

42




Shè Téng Takes Qiāng

32023

169

Sinking Three Sheep

05522

175

Bēng at Wŭ Yĭ Temple

36076

179

Yòu Father Dīng

32054

183

Three Rì Rituals

32714

187

Jĭ from King Shàng Jiă

32212

191




43




44


45 46





47 48





  

ZX543

195

49




       




199

Exorcise Fú Xuán

00301

203

Shí Qiāng

00466

207

High Ancestor Wáng Hài

32083

211

Jì Cái Xié Rituals

41704

215

54

Ceremonial Codex Presentation

35756

221

55

Raid My West Border Field

06057

227

00032

233

06316

239




50 51





52 53





King Forms Alliance with Wàng Chéng

56 57




Earth and Heaven Not Agreeable

xi

Contents

58

Expedition Against Marquis Yán of Yúfāng

36509

243

59

Stationed at Qí

36493

247

60

The King Came to Attack Rénfāng

36484

251

61

The King Went to Attack Gōngfāng

06209

255

62

Reconnaissance about Gōngfāng

06167

259

63

Supply Five Thousand Men

06409

263

64

Zhĭ Guó Presented Codex

06401

267

65

Shock and Awe Against Tǔfāng

06399

271

33006

275


The King Established Three Divisions

66 67

Command Royal Clan to Chase Zhàofāng

33017

279

68

Three Clans

32815

283

69

No Commotion This Evening

34720

285

70

Display Royal Troop

26879

289

71

Officer Zhōng Reported Elk

27902

293

72




Hunting at Jī

37471

297

73




A Day of Hunting

10198

301

Safe Hunting Trip

37379

305

Elephant Captured

10222

309

Six Deer Captured

37408

313

Chased Rhinoceros

10398

317

Seven Rhinos Captured

33374

321

Zǐ Yāng Fell

10405

325




74 75





76 77 78






79 80




King Went Hunting

10939

329

81




Eight Peacock Captured

09572

333

Encountered Heavy Rain

37646

337

82 83




Big Tiger Captured

37848

341

84




Inspecting Cattle at Dūn

11171

345

Continuing Fishing

12921

349

Thirty Thousands Fish Captured

10471

353

Chase Deer of Shuǐ

28789

355

85





86 87




88




East Land Received Harvest

36975

359

89




We Received Millet Harvest

10094

363

Yuè Hé Náo

10076

367

90




Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

xii

Calming Locust at Deity Sǔn

32028

369

92

Not Having Abundant Harvest

10139

373

93

King Orders Opening Land

33209

377

94

Plowing Jointly

00001

381

95

Crop Inspection

09612

385

91




96


Pray for Childbearing

34081

387

97

Fù Hǎo Gave Birth

14002

391

98

Toothache

13648

395

99

Nose Pain

11506

399

100

Fāng Swayed from the East

20619

403

101

King’s Inspectional Campaign

36537

407

102

King Established Settlement

14200

413

103

Dì Damaged This Settlement

14211

417

104

Dì Terminated This Settlement

14210

421

105

Adding Lù Qĭ

05458

425

106

Zhǐ Managed Royal Affairs

05478

429

107

West Minister Zhǐ

05637

433

10


Mining the Ore

06812

437

109

Royal Inspection

36361

441

110

Inspect the Sàng Field

28971

445

111

Today Perambulate at Lè

36501

449

112

Coming News

01075

453

113

Music Performance

31022

457

114

The King Enters the Shāng

07780

461

115

Banquet at West Temple-Gate

23340

467

116

The Dīng Personally Attack Shào

H3 449

471

117

Suì Ancestor Zǔ Jiǎ

H3 007

475

118

Sheep for the Yí-Ritual

H3 421

477

119

The King Chased

H11:113

479

120

To Calm Wind at Four Corners*

481

*All pieces, except Piece 6, 48, 116ÿ120, are from Jiǎgǔwén héjí. The numbers listed here refer to their list number in Jiaguwen heji (Collection of Oracle Bones), these numbers are prefixed with Heji in this book.

xiii

Contents

Appendix 1

Vocabulary List

485

Appendix 2

References and Bibliography

505

Appendix 3

Gānzhī Table喋Table of Sixty Day Cycle喌

507

Appendix 4

Shāng King List

509

Appendix 5

Five-Ritual Cycle

511

Appendix 6

Brief Introduction to Oracle Bone Inscriptions

513

Appendix 7

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

517



1JFDF


Gānzhī Cycle


OBI

    ᛴ                                                                                             © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_1

1

2

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions


Transcription month one normal say eat wheat jiǎ zǐ yǐ chǒu bǐng yín dīng mǎo wù chén jǐ sì gēng wǔ xīn wèi rén shēn guǐ yǒu jiǎ xū yǐ hài bǐng zǐ dīng chǒu wù yín jǐ mǎo gēng chén xīn sì rén wǔ guǐ [wèi] jiǎ shēn yǐ yǒu bǐng xū dīng hài wù zǐ jǐ chǒu gēng yín xīn mǎo rén chén guǐ sì two month fù X jiǎ wǔ yǐ wèi bǐng shēn dīng yǒu wù xū jǐ hài gēng zǐ xīn chǒu rén yín guǐ mǎo jiǎ chén yǐ sì bǐng wǔ dīng wèi wù shēn jǐ yǒu gēng xū xīn hài rén zǐ guǐ chǒu jiǎ yín yǐ mǎo bǐng chén dīng sì wù wǔ jǐ wèi gēng shēn xīn yǒu rén xū guǐ [hài]

Reading The First Month is called喋the time of喌 Ăwheat eatingă. Jiǎzǐ, yǐchǒu, bǐngyín, dīngmǎo, wùchén, jǐsì, gēngwǔ, xīnwèi, rénshēn, guǐyǒu. Jiǎxū, yǐhài, bǐngzǐ, dīngchǒu, wùyín, jǐmǎo, gēngchén, xīnsì, rénwǔ, guǐwèi. Jiǎshēn, yǐyǒu, bǐngxū, dīnghài, wùzǐ, jǐchǒu, gēngyín, xīnmǎo, rénchén, guǐsì. Second Month,喋the time of喌 Ăfù X ă. Jiǎwǔ, yǐwèi, bǐngshēn, dīngyǒu, wùxū, jǐhài, gēngzǐ, xīnchǒu, rényín, guǐmǎo. Jiǎchén, yǐsì, bǐngwǔ, dīngwèi, wùshēn, jǐyǒu, gēngxū, xīnhài, rénzǐ, guǐchǒu. Jiǎyín, yǐmǎo, bǐngchén, dīngsì, wùwǔ, jǐwèi, gēngshēn, xīnyǒu, rénxū, guǐhài.

Piece 1

3

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 24440喌belongs to the diviner Chū Group喋‫ܦ‬㉰ Period 2喌
. It contains the gānzhī喋᎞ᩛ喌name of all 60 days, starting with jiǎzǐ喋⩞ၼ喌and ending with guǐhài喋⮤ ϑ喌
. A modern version of gānzhī cycle is shown in Appendix 2. 2. There are ten gān喋᎞, stems, heavenly stems喌and twelve zhī喋ᩛ , branches, earthly branches喌
. The combination of one gān and one zhī in an orderly manner forms 60 pairs, which were used in Shāng to denote each day. 3. The graph   mài喋发喌refers to crops, most likely wheat. Here, the term  shí mài喋下 发喌‘eat wheat’, refers to some ritual activity that was performed in the first month, possibly a tradition that is still retained in the following passage of the Yuèlìng喋ᰴА喌section of the Lǐjì喋ȧ⻚㽄Ȩ喌喝 “The son of Heaven occupies the apartment on the left of the Qīng Yáng喋Fane喌
; rides in the carriage with the phoenix喋bells喌
, drawn by the azure-dragon喋horses喌
, and carrying the green flag; wears the green robes, and the喋pieces of喌green jade喋on his cap and at his girdle pendant喌
. He eats wheat and mutton. The vessels which he uses are slightly carved,喋to resemble喌the shooting forth喋of plants喌
.”喋๕ၼᅱ䱾䮩ጒ͖Ƞ΄半䌛喏企Ե咹喏䐵䱾 ᬃ喏㶏䱾㶏喏᰹Ե⢵喏下发㜳㒶喏‫ڢ‬ஔ⪻Б䖀Ƞ喌 喋see http://chinese.dsturgeon.net/index. html喌This piece started with the second month by stating ‘ θᰴ喏❢

’, which we translated

as ‘Second Month,喋time of喌fù X ’ because the graph is not recognizable. Nonetheless, the term ‘fù X ’ probably refers to some ritual activity associated with the Second Month. 4. Shāng scribers or engravers produced bone inscriptions by first engraving the vertical strokes for each graph, then turned the bone piece 90 degrees to engrave the horizontal strokes. As horizontal strokes are missing in many graphs in this piece, it would suggest that the engraving work for this piece is incomeplete. The graph wèi喋᱖喌is missing from the third column喋as part of the day name guǐwèi ⮤᱖喌
, and the graph hài喋ϑ喌is missing from the last column喋as part of the day name guǐhài ⮤ϑ喌
. 5. The graph  depicts food stuff held in a utensil喋guǐ ㄷ喌with lid covered. Some scholars consider the top part a ‘mouth’ sign. It is transcribed as shí喋下喌‘food’ or ‘to eat’. The horizontal strokes here are missing in this bone graph. 6. The piece喋Heji 37986喌shown below gives a complete Shāng Table of 60 days- Gānzhī, from jiǎzǐ喋⩞ၼ喌to guǐhài喋⮤ϑ喌
.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

4

37986

Table of Shāng Gānzhī

1JFDF
 The Millet Harvest

2

1

3

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_2

5

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

6

OBI

喋obverse side喌

ហᕭ ฉല ហᕭ ᙃ㗠ฉല ⇼ ₺ 喋reverse side喌

ᅂ⇓Ა⤪ฉᖀല

Transcription bĭng chén crack Quē divine we receive millet harvest bĭng chén crack Quē divine we not qí receive millet harvest four moon second report king prognosticate say auspicious receive abundant harvest

Reading

喋obverse side喌 [1] Crack-making on bĭngchén喋day 53喌
, Quē divined: Will Shāng State receive the millet harvest? [2] Crack-making on bĭngchén, Quē divined: Will Shāng State possibly not receive the millet harvest? Fourth month. Second presentation. 喋reverse side喌 [3] The King prognosticated and proclaimed: Auspicious. We will receive abundant harvest.

7

Piece 2

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 09950喌belongs to the Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊喏Period 1喌
. The obverse side of the plastron recorded two lines of inscriptions, one positive and one negative, about whether the Shāng would receive abundant harvest. The reverse side is a prognostication made by King Wǔ Dīng, proclaiming that there would be a good harvest. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ᕭ喋bǔ ࢈ ‘to make crack’喌depicts a crack sign caused by applying heat at a hollow bored from the opposite side of the bone or plastron. This pictograph was used to indicate the initiation of divination ritual. It is the most frequently used script in OBI. The graph 喋què ⶔ喌is the name of a diviner, serving in King Wǔ Dīng’s court. The graph  喋zhēn 䇊 ‘to divine’喌depicts a cauldron dǐng喋吺喌
. It is used as a Loangraph here, meaning ‘to divine’. The use of zhēn喋䇊喌as ‘to divine’ may also have something to do with the possibility that the cauldron could be an integral component of the divination process. The graph 喋wǒ ᜽ 喌depicts a saw-like weapon. It is used as loangraph for a first person pronoun ‘I, me, we, or us’. The graph ฉ喋shòu ः ‘receive’喌depicts two hands holding a boat or something. It is used as a syssemantograph喋compound ideograph喌
, meaning ‘to receive’ or ‘to give’. The graph 喋shǔ 叹 ‘glutinous millet’喌is a pictogram. Millet was the most important crop in ancient China. The graph ല喋nián Ꭰ ‘harvest’喌is a compound xíngshēng word, composed of a pictogram ᓟ for crop and a graph ⢦ as a phonetic component. The graph is used in Shāng strictly for ‘harvest’. The graph ᙃ喋fú ᑃ喌depicts the use of rope to strap arrows or wood plank. It is used in OBI strictly as a negative adverb, meaning ‘not’. The graph 㗠喋qí ‫ڢ‬喌depicts a winnowing basket jī喋チ喌
. It is a loangraph in OBI used as a grammatical particle, meaning ‘perhaps’, ‘may’, or ‘ought’. The graph ⇼喋yuè ᰴ ‘moon, month’喌depicts a new moon and is a pictogram for ‘moon’ or ‘month’. The graph ₺喋gào ॶ ‘to report’喌depicts a tongue extending from the mouth, meaning ‘to report’, either from the king to the ancestor spirit or from the subordinate to the superior. The graph ᅂ喋wáng ⢷ ‘king’喌depicts a battle axe, which the king wielded as a sign of supreme power. The graph is used as a loangraph for ‘king’. The graph ⇓喋zhān ⩆喌depicts a crack sign and a mouth sign encircled in a shoulder bone. It is used as a syssemantograph, meaning zhān喋ࢌ喌‘to prognosticate’. The graph Ა喋yuē ᰜ喌shows an open mouth with sound coming out. The graph means ‘to

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

8

announce, to proclaim’ or ‘to be’. In OBI, the prognostication was always performed by the King or in certain cases, by Zǐ喋ၼ喌
, the crown prince or the elder of the clan. The graph ⤪ , transcribed as jí喋व喌
, is a prognostication term, meaning ‘auspicious’ or ‘lucky’. The graph ᖀ is used to mean喋i喌yòu喋ࣴ喌‘again’,喋ii喌yǒu喋ᰵ喌‘to have’,喋iii喌yòu喋ѽ喌 ‘to bless’, and喋iv喌yòu喋ҽ喌‘a sacrificial offering ceremony’. The origin of this graph is unclear. 3. A standard complete oracle bone inscription喋OBI喌consists of five components: 喋i喌
Preface: It includes the gānzhī date of cracking, the name of diviner, always a single character, and the place name if the divination was performed outside the royal capital during hunting trip or military campaign. 喋ii喌
Charge: This is the main body of OBI; it typically includes both positive and negative question喋or statement喌put to the ancestral spirit inquiring whether the event would or would not occur. 喋iii喌
Prognostication: This part always started with the introductory phrase ‘wáng zhān yuē ⢷ ࢌ ᰜ ’, meaning ‘The King prognosticates and proclaims’. What follows is the prognostication that the King made after reading the divination cracks. 喋iv喌
Verification: This part usually contains the word yǔn喋‫٭‬喌, meaning that the event indeed happened as predicted. 喋v喌
Crack number and crack notation: Crack number喋zhàoxù ‫ ٲ‬Ꮋ 喌
, from 1 to 10, and crack notation喋zhàoyǔ ‫ٲ‬㿊喌are typically engraved next to cracks on the bone, shell or plastron. They are technical terms related to the divination process and interpretation of the cracks. Their significance is not fully understood yet. The following shows how to identify these components in this piece, which lacks verification part:

喋i喌Preface 喋ii喌Charge喋positive喌 bĭng chén crack Quē divine 喋i喌Preface four moon

喋i喌Preface

喋ii喌Charge喋negative喌

bĭng chén crack Quē divine we receive millet harvest we not qí receive millet harvest

喋v喌Crack notation second report


喋iii喌Prognostication king prognosticate say auspicious receive abundant harvest 4. We translate bŭ喋࢈喌as ‘crack’ or ‘crack-making’, depending on its use as a noun or as a verb. The reconstructed minimal Old Chinese喋OCM喌pronunciation of this word is *pôk, suggesting that the sound was derived from the cracking of a turtle shell or animal bone after

Piece 2

9

heat was applied. The graph itself depicts a crack generated from applying heat to the bone or shell. We translate zhēn喋䇊喌as ‘to divine’; this action was always performed by a royal diviner. The job of zhān喋ࢌ喌‘to prognosticate after reading the cracks’ is performed almost exclusively by the King. Occasionally, prognostication can be performed by Zǐ喋ၼ喌
, either a powerful leader within the royal lineage or the crown prince. 5. Wŏ喋᜽喌in OBI can mean:喋i喌we;喋ii喌the statelet Wŏ; or喋iii喌the place called Wŏ. Here it could refer either to the Shāng state or to the Wŏ state. Since wŏ appears much more frequently in OBI corpus than any other statelets, it would seem more reasonable that wŏ here means ‘we’ and refers to the Shāng rather than the statelet Wŏ. 6. Èr gào喋θॶ
, θ₺喌is a crack notation. The precise meaning here is unclear. There are two possible interpretations:喋i喌‘the second prayer’, or ‘the second presentation’ as proposed by Hú Hòuxuān喋㘍 ࣆ ჏ 喌and Shāng Chéngzuò喋ੲ ឫ ⺆ 喌
; and喋ii喌‘greatly auspicious’ as proposed by Sūn Yíràng喋႗ 㽾 䂿 喌and Zhāng Bĭngquán喋ᑡ ⻵ ‶ 喌
. Since the graph ⤪ jí 喋व喌‘auspicious’ is clearly different from the graph ₺, we use the first interpretation here. 7. The graph ᖀ yŏu in phrase such as shòu yŏu yòu喋ःᖀࣴ喌or shòu yŏu nián喋ःᖀᎠ喌can be interpreted as喋i喌a word with an attributive and pronominal function, meaning ‘this’ or ‘in this case’;喋ii喌‘abundant, bountiful’ according to Keightley;喋iii喌an honorific. From the context, the second interpretation is better. 8. The graph 㗠 qí喋‫ڢ‬喌is used as a grammatical particle, meaning ‘may’ or ‘perhaps’. When a diviner tests two charges, one positive and one negative, qí often precedes the charge that the diviner viewed as the less preferred one. 9. Table 1 shows the classification of the Shāng OBI into five periods according to the chronology of the late Shāng, from from King Wǔ Dīng to King Dì Xīn. The number in the parenthesis喋e.g. K21喌indicates the accession order of the king. Based on a number of criteria, including archeological data, diviner, style of engraving, ancestral titles and events, a particular piece of oracle bone can be dated to one of these five periods. The regnal years are based on the report of Xià-Shāng-Zhōu Chronology Project喋฻ੲঔ᫣Џ጑⼷ , Xià Shāng Zhōu Duàndài Gōngchéng喌
.


Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

10 Table 1

1FSJPE

Periodization of Shāng Oracle Bone Inscriptions

,JOHT

3FHOBM
:FBST喋#$&喌

1

Wǔ Dīng

喋K21喌

1250ÿ1192

2

Zŭ Gēng Zŭ Jiă

喋K22喌 喋K23喌

1191ÿ1162

3

Lĭn Xīn Kāng Dīng

喋K24喌 喋K25喌

1161ÿ1148

4

Wǔ Yĭ 喋K26喌 Wén Wǔ Dīng 喋K27喌

1147ÿ1113 1112ÿ1102

5

Dì Yĭ Dì Xīn

1101ÿ1076 1075ÿ1046

喋K28喌 喋K29喌

Practice

09956

09965

1JFDF
 Fifteen Dogs 5

4

3      

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_3

11

12

OBI

ᕭ➷ ᚽ ᚽ ᚽ ᚽ Transcription dīng yŏu bǔ fifteen dog fifteen sheep fifteen piglet twenty dog twenty sheep twenty piglet thirty dog thirty sheep thirty piglet [fifty] dog fifty sheep fifty piglet

Reading [1] Crack-making on dīngyŏu喋day 34喌… [2] Fifteen dogs, fifteen sheep, and fifteen piglets. [3] Twenty dogs, twenty sheep, and twenty piglets. [4] Thirty dogs, thirty sheep, and thirty piglets. [5] Fifty dogs, fifty sheep, and fifty piglets.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

13

Piece 3

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 29537喌belongs to the diviner Wúmíng Group喋♍ह㉰
, Period 3 and 4喌
. The piece is related to a divination about how many sacrificial animals should be used. The significance of the combined use of dogs, sheep, and piglets is not clear. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋quǎn ⟘喌is a pictograph. Note the slight upswing of the tail. The graph 喋yáng 㒶喌is a pictograph for sheep or goat. The graph ᚽ喋tún 䆆 ‘piglet’喌depicts a pig with a sign of meat cut, indicating suckling pig. The graph 喋niàn ᐫ ‘twenty’喌shows two signs of ‘ten’ connected, meaning twenty. The graph 喋sà ࡱ ‘thirty’喌shows three signs of ‘ten’ connected, meaning thirty. The graph  , transcribed as  , shows the sign ofĂfiveăandĂtenăconnected, meaning fifty. 3. Note the distinction between the expression of 15 and 50 in OBI. To express the number 50, the two numerical graphs, five and ten, are joined together. 4. The sequence of the divination recorded on the bones is to be read from the bottom up. In this piece, the number of sacrificial animals increased from15 to 50.

Practice

29572

33583

33578

33579

1JFDF
 Rain in the First Month

1 2 3 4

6 5

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_4

15

16

OBI 喋obverse side喌

ᕭⓐ 㜑⇼┆ ᕭⓐ 㜑⇼㗠┆ ᅂ⇓Ა┆ ┆ ┆ 喋reverse side喌

┆┆ ຎ

Transcription

guĭ sì crack Zhēng divine this one month rain guĭ sì crack Zhēng divine this one month not qí rain king prognosticate say bĭng rain xún rén yín rain jiă chén also rain jĭ yŏu rain xīn hài also rain

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

17

Piece 4

Què enter 250

Reading

喋obverse side喌 [1] Crack-making on guĭsì喋day 30喌, Zhēng divined: This first month there will be rainy. [2] Crack-making on guĭsì, Zhēng divined: This first month there may not be rainy. [3] The King prognosticated and proclaimed: It will rain on bĭng喋-shēn, day 33喌. [4] Ten days later, on rényín喋day 39喌, it rained; on jiăchén喋day 41喌, it also rained. 喋reverse side喌 [5] On jĭyŏu喋day 46喌it rained, on xīnhài喋day 48喌it also rained. [6] Què sent in 250喋tortoise shells喌.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 12487喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ ڤ‬䇿 䶊

Period 1喌. The obverse side contains preface, charge, prognostication and verification. A part of verification also appears at the back of the plastron. The charge deals with whether there will be rainfall in the first month. On the back, there is a marginal notation喋jiǎqiáo kècí ⩞ί‫ݧ‬䓙喌at the plastron bridge, recording that Què喋䯬喌brought in to the court 250 pieces of turtle shells. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ⓐ喋zhēng ε喌is a diviner who served in King Wǔ Dīng’s court. The graph 㜑喋jīn ϶喌means ‘at present/this moment/today/now’. The graph ┆is a pictograph for the modern word yǔ喋䰔喌‘rain/to rain’. The graph  is transcribed and used as bù喋̹喌‘no/not’. The graph 喋xún ᬘ喌refers to the ten-day cycle, from jiǎ喋⩞喌to guǐ喋⮤喌
. The graph  shows two dots underneath the armpit of a man, meaning yè喋㙷喌‘armpit’. It is used as loangraph for yì喋ϒ喌‘also’.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

18

The graph  , transcribed as què喋䯬喌
, is the name of a friendly statelet of Shāng. The graph  is transcribed and used as rù喋‫ڑ‬喌‘to enter/to bring in’. In OBI, ‘personal name + rù’ indicates that the person makes a tribute by bringing in bones or plastrons to the court. The graph ຎ is transcribed and interpreted as bǎi喋⮪喌‘hundred’. 3. The months in Shāng OBI are numbered as ‘first month’, ‘second month’, etc. In general, each year consisted of 12 months. Sometime a thirteenth month is added to account for the leap year. The first month in Shāng does not necessarily match the January of the modern time. Keightley instead uses ‘First moon’, ‘Second moon’ etc. to translate. 4. In addition to the gānzhī cycle and the 12 month cycle, the Shāng also used a 10-day week喋xún ᬘ喌to denote time. The first day of this 10-day week always fall on a jiă day, so divination about the coming week is always made on the guĭ day, the last day of the previous 10-day cycle. 5. Què喋䯬喌is a statelet, probably within the Shāng polity. Here, the graph refers to either the leader of Què or a representative from Què.

Practice

12433

12499

19

Piece 4

Heji 12487

Heji 12487 photo of obverse side

1JFDF
 Rain from the East

1

4

2

5

3

OBI

ᕭ㜑੉┆ 㗠ኃଆ┆ 㗠ኃં┆ 㗠ኃ┆ 㗠ኃ┆ © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_5

21

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

22

Transcription

guǐ mǎo crack this day rain qí from west come rain qí from east come rain qí from north come rain qí from south come rain

Reading

[1] Crack-making on guĭmăo喋day 40喌
喝Today it will rain. [2] Rain may come from the west. [3] Rain may come from the east. [4] Rain may come from the north. [5] Rain may come from the south.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 12870喌belongs to the diviner Bīn Yī Group喋䇿̬䶊
Period 1喌. The fact that the Shāng diviner wished to know from which direction the rain would come suggests that their concern was not simply limited to the physical presence of ‘rain’ but possibly its metaphysical presence. It can be noted that the OBI graphs for dōng喋Ო喌
, ‘east’, bĕi喋ࡃ喌
, ‘north’, xī喋㺫喌
, ‘west’, and nán喋ࢃ喌
, ‘south’ still resemble closely to the modern graphs.

23

Piece 5

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ੉ is the pictograph for rì喋ᬑ喌‘sun/day’. The graph ኃ喋zì 㜖喌is the pictograph for ‘nose’. In OBI, it denotes喋i喌bí喋呧喌‘nose’, 喋ii喌zì喋㜖喌‘self’, or喋iii喌zì喋㜖喌‘from’. The modern character bí喋呧喌
‘nose’ includes a phonetic sign ⩬
. The graph ଆ depicts bird nest or basket. It is used as loangraph for xī喋㺫喌‘west’. The graph  depicts crops. It is used as loangraph for the word lái喋Ҳ喌‘to come/coming’. The graph ં depicts a sack with both ends tied. It is used as loangraph for dōng喋Ო喌‘east’. The graph ⦗ depicts two men standing back to back. It is used as loangraph for bĕi喋ࡃ喌‘north’. The graph ᆡ is transcribed and interpreted as nán喋ࢃ喌‘south’.

Practice

12873

12872

30175

1JFDF

From Daybreak to Morning

6 5 4 3 2

1

OBI

ᕭ੉ḝ㜬੉ᑄ ḝ㜬੉㗠┆ ੉㜬〭੉ᑄ┆ ੉㜬〭੉㗠┆ 〭੉㜬ᐟᑄ┆ 〭੉㜬ᐟ © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_6

25

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

26

Transcription

xīn hài crack tomorrow day rén dawn until shí rì not [rain] rén dawn until shí rì qí rain shí rì until zhōng rì not rain shí rì until zhōng rì qí rain zhōng rì until guō xī not rain zhōng rì until [guō] xī [qí rain]

Reading

[1] On xīnhài喋day 48喌crack-making: Tomorrow rén zǐ喋day 49喌, from dàn喋dawn喌to shírì 喋morning喌will it not rain? [2] From rén dawn to shírì喋morning喌may it rain? [3] From shírì喋morning喌to zhōngrì喋noon喌will it not rain? [4] From shírì to zhōngrì喋noon喌may it rain? [5] From zhōngrì to guōxī喋afternoon-probably around 4 pm喌will it not rain? [6] From zhōngrì喋noon喌to guōxī喋afternoon喌may it rain?

27

Piece 6

Annotation

1. This piece is a typical example of ‘time-specific charge’. The diviner wished to know whether a particular event would occur, and if so, at what particular time period during the day. This kind of time-specific charges is relatively rare in the existing OBI corpus; most charges are day-specific. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph  and its variant graph ᜞ are transcribed as yì喋㓸喌
‘tomorrow’. It depicts insect wing and is used as a loangraph to denote ‘tomorrow’. The graph is also used as the name of a ritual in the five-ritual cycle. The graph ᚨ is a pictograph and is transcribed as dàn喋ᬒ喌‘sunrise’. The graph 㜬 shows an arrow arrived at the target. It is transcribed as zhì喋㜟喌‘to get to’, ‘to arrive’. The graph ᛴ shí喋下喌means ‘food’ or ‘to eat’. Here shírì喋下ᬑ喌refers to ‘breakfast time’, meaning ‘morning’. The graph 〭 depicts a flag pole or a gnomon-like instrument. It is transcribed as zhōng喋͙喌 ‘middle’. Here, zhōngrì喋͙ᬑ喌means ‘noon time’. The graph ᬉ depicts a city wall. It is transcribed as guō喋䘙 喌
. Here, guōxī refers to a time around 4 pm in the afternoon. The graph ᐟ is transcribed as xī喋‫ښ‬喌
. The original meaning is unclear. Here it was used in the idiom guō xī喋䘙‫ښ‬喌
. 3. The following table lists the Shāng terms used to refer to periods or points of time within the day, together with the approximate times to which they refer. The period from dàn喋≈6 am喌 to shírì喋≈8 am喌is called by three names by different diviner groups, as seen below, and the same is true of the period from guōxī喋≈ 4 pm喌to xiǎoshí喋≈ 6 pm喌.

dàn

shírì dàshí dàcǎi

zhōngrì

zè

guōxī

xiǎoshí xiǎocǎi hūn

xī

6 am

8 am

12 pm

2 pm

4 pm

6 pm

9 pm

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

28

Practice

29776

29781

29794

29790

1JFDF
 Tricolored Clouds

OBI

ᕭ஗ ᜞ᒎ㒨 ᅂ⇓Აᒎ┆ᕭ⻙ ┆ᒎ㒨⣉ව㗠 ⵸⹙

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_7

29

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

30

Transcription jǐ hài crack Yŏng divine tomorrow gēng zĭ Jiǔ [qí rain] King prognosticate say zī wéi gēng rain crack this [evening] rain gēng zĭ Jiǔ three color cloud dissipate qí finish Zhù open

Reading

Crack-making on jĭhài喋day 36喌, Yŏng divined: Tomorrow, gēngzĭ喋day 37喌,喋if we喌perform the Jiǔ ritual, would it rain? The King prognosticated and proclaimed: This is the crack喋omen喌for rain on gēngzĭ. That evening喋on jĭhài喌it rained. On gēngzĭ the Jiǔ ritual was performed. Tricolored clouds accumulated; once the Zhù ritual was completed, the sky opened up.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 13399喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ ڤ‬䇿 䶊
Period 1喌. The inscriptions show the Shāng priests monitored the weather closely in planning various rituals. They were concerned with not only rain, but also the unusual celestial phenomena including the color of clouds that appeared during and after the ritual.

31

Piece 7

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ஗喋yǒng Ⅴ喌is the name of a diviner in the court of King Wǔ Dīng. The graph ᜞喋yì 㓸喌means ‘the following喋day喌, tomorrow’. ᜞ / ᱺ /  are all variants of yì喋㓸喌
. It is also a ritual in the five-ritual cycle. The graph 㒨喋jiǔ ᄀ喌depicts a wine utensil with three additional strokes, which may signify liquid drops. Jiǔ喋ᄀ喌is one of the most frequently performed rituals in Shāng and it probably has something to do with wine offering. However, Ken-ichi Takashima argued that it is a ritual related to animal sacrifice and translated it as ‘yǒu-cutting sacrifice’. The graph ༎喋zī ᕻ 喌is equivalent to modern character zī喋‫ ڥ‬喌
, a demonstrative pronoun, meaning ‘this’. The graph ৾喋zhuī 䯥 喌is a pictograph for bird. Here, it is also a loangraph for wéi喋ᘋ or ਜ਼喌
, meaning ‘only’. The graph ⻙喋zhī ͷ喌depicts a foot stopped at a line. It is used here as a demonstrative pronoun, meaning ‘that’. The graph 喋sè ૳ or ᅯ喌depicts some kind of grain storage structures, like silos. According to Yú Xǐngwú it is a loangraph for sè喋㞞喌‘color’. The graph ⣉喋yún ν喌is a pictograph, equivalent to modern character yún喋䰞喌‘cloud’. The graph 喋喌depicts three arrows pointing toward an eye marked with prominent eyelash. The original meaning is unclear. Here, it probably describes the movement of clouds. We tentatively interpret it as jī喋⽹喌‘to converge, to accumulate’. The graph ⵸喋jì ᬎ喌depicts a person finished eating. The modern character jì喋ᬎ喌means ‘already/since/finished’. The graph ⹙喋zhù ⺉喌depicts a person kneeling in front of a tablet or a ceremonial table. It is transcribed as zhù喋⺉喌meaning ‘to pray’. Here, zhù喋⺉喌is some ritiual activity taking place during the Jiǔ喋ᄀ喌ritual. The graph ዅ喋qǐ ⴲ ‘to open’喌is subsumed into the Shuōwén’s entry for qǐ喋ᮡ 喌
, which refers to the sky becoming clear in the daytime. Here qǐ喋ⴲ喌means that the clouds dissipate and the sky opens up.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

32

Practice

13401

13393

13649

1JFDF
 Heavy Rain

2

1

OBI

ኃ㜑㜬ᖪ⬫┆ ኃ㜑㜬ᖪᙈ⬫┆

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_8

33

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

34

Transcription from this xīn until to come xīn have big rain from this xīn until to come xīn without big rain

Reading

[1] From this xīn day to the coming xīn day will there be a heavy rain? [2] From this xīn day to the coming xīn day will there not be a heavy rain?

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 30048喌belongs to the diviner Wúmíng Group喋♍ह㉰
Periods 3 and 4喌. The divination asks whether there would be a heavy rain between this xīn day and the next xīn day. Although the Shāng typically used the combination of one heavenly stem and one earthly branch to specify a date, date could also be represented by a heavenly stem alone, as the case here, which may suggest that the heavenly stem is more significant than the earthly branch. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ば喋yòu ࣴ 喌depicts a right hand. It has the following derived meanings:喋i喌yǒu 喋ᰵ喌‘to have’ ;喋ii喌yòu喋ࣴ喌‘again’;喋iii喌yòu喋⹼ or ѽ喌‘blessing’;喋iv喌yòu喋ҽ喌 ‘to perform certain ritual’. Here, yǒu dà yǔ喋ࣴ๓䰔喌means ‘have a heavy rain’. The graph ⬫ depicts a front view of man standing. It is used as syssemantograph for dà喋๓喌 ‘big’. The graph ᙈ喋wáng ύ 喌is the protograph of wáng喋ύ 喌‘not’. It is used as an equivalent of wú喋♍喌
, meaning ‘have not/without’. Here wáng dà yǔ喋ύ๓䰔喌means ‘not to have heavy rain’. These two charges, one positive and one negative, are typical divination inscription charges, and could be interpreted either as questions or as statements.

35

Piece 8

Practice

30038

30171

30040

1JFDF
 Encounter Gusty Wind

2

1

OBI

ᑄඓ⬫ 㗠ඓ⬫ Transcription not encounter big wind qí encounter big wind © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_9

37

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

38

Reading

[1] Will we not encounter a gusty wind? [2] Will we possibly encounter a gusty wind?

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 30238喌belongs to the diviner Wúmíng Group喋♍ह㉰
Period 3 and 4喌. The piece contains two charges about whether gusty wind would be encountered. 2. Graphs and Idoims The graph 喋fēng ䷔ ‘wind’喌and graph ⠪喋fèng 刟 ‘phoenix’喌are used interchangeably in OBI, since the words for both ‘wind’ and ‘phoenix’ have similar pronunciations喋*pəm and *pəms, respectively, in Schuessler’s Minimal Old Chinese Reconstructions喌. The sign ോ is added to emphasize that here ⠪ is no longer used for its semantic value喋‘phoenix’喌 but for its phonetic value喋fēng ䷔ ‘wind’喌. The graph fēng喋䷔喌‘wind’ in OBI also refers to the Wind Powers喋in Keightley’s word喌that are under the command of Dì喋ፉ 喌‘the Supreme Being’. The graph for gòu ඓ represents two things喋may be two fish喌, meeting each other, hence the meaning of ‘encountering’.

39

Piece 9

Practice

30242

30250

21019

1JFDF
 Strong Gale

OBI

ᘤᕭⓐ ᙈ⥌ ⬫⧷⠪⻙⤘ ᛕ⡶⇼ᒂ᧖

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_10

41

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

42

Transcription guĭ măo crack Zhēng divine 10-day without disaster jiă chén big swift wind this evening xiàng yĭ sì capture … five people five month at [Dūn]

Reading

Crack-making on guĭmăo喋day 40喌, Zhēng divined: In the next ten days will there be no disasters? On jiăchén喋day 41喌, there was a strong gale. This evening, as the day was changing to yĭsì喋day 42喌, captured … five people. It was the fifth month at Dūn.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 00137喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ ڤ‬䇿 䶊 , Period 1喌. We will only discuss the left three lines of inscriptions. It started with bǔxún喋࢈ᬘ喌 Ădivination for the ten-day cycleăand then recorded a strong gale that occurred on the next day jiǎchén 喋day 41喌. It also recorded another event that happened at the junction between jiǎchén喋day 41喌and yǐsì喋day 42喌, namely, five people were captured and shackled. It is unclear who were they and why they were captured, as portion of the bone is missing.

Piece 10

43

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ⥌喋huò ⟸ ‘disaster’喌has been interpreted variously as huò喋⺹喌‘disaster’, jiù喋঺喌 ‘calamity or misfortune’, or yōu喋ᚮ喌‘anxiety or sorrow’. The term wánghuò喋ύ⟸喌was a commonly used Shāng idiom, particularly during bǔxún喋࢈ᬘ喌, the divination for the next ten-day week. In OBI there are many graphs that express disaster, calamity, and omen 喋e.g., ⠨⥌⇜ೃ㑵㛛௛⾄喌. But the nuance that may distinguish these graphs is unclear. The graph ⧷喋zōu  喌depicts two hands holding an ear. The modern equivalent would be zōu喋ᣗ喌 喋*tsro in Schuessler’s Minimal Old Chinese Reconstruction喌. Here, it is used as a loangraph for zhòu喋例喌 喋*dzroh喌, meaning ‘sudden, rush, outburst’. The term dà zhòu fēng喋๓例䷔喌refers to a strong and sudden gale. The graph 喋xī แ ‘dusk/evening’喌is similar to the bone graph for moon, ⇼. Indeed, the two graphs are used interchangeably in OBI. The graph ⤘喋xiàng ⯫ 喌has been interpreted as xiàng喋௚
ऽ 喌that appears in Shījīng 喋Ode 182喌Tíng Liáo ‘What of the night? / the night nears dawn’喋“ ่ຮҁ‫ ڢ‬/ ่௚ᮔ ”喌. The meaning of xiàng here is the time roughly around midnight, as one day cleaves into the next. Thus, the graph ⤘, when used between two neighboring gānzhī days, refers to the time that dissects these two days. It should be noted that other scholars consider the two neighboring gānzhī days dissect at the time before sunrise. The graph ᛕ喋zhí ണ 喌depicts a manacled foot and has the meaning of ‘fetters/to capture’. However, Zhào Píng’ān suggested the graph depicts a foot out of the manacle; thus the word means ‘to escape’. Because several graphs are missing in this broken piece, it is unclear who these five people were and why they were captured or escaped. The graph ᒂ喋zài ౔喌is the precursor of zài喋౔喌‘at/to exist/in the middle of doing something’. The graph ᧖喋dūn ⊈喌is equivalent to modern word dūn喋᪒喌
. It was a place name. This graph is partially missing from the rubbing.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

44

Practice

00367

13362

1JFDF
 Rainbow Appears

OBI

ᅂ⇓Აᖀ⠨੉ᒎ྅ᖀ ⻱⣉ኃંⰘ⮀ ᖀ㖈ᘡኃᨩᖪ᩵

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_11

45

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

46

Transcription king prognosticate say have evil eight day gēng xū have come cloud from east cover darkening afternoon also have appear rainbow from north drink at River

Reading The King prognosticated and proclaimed: There is an evil spirit! On the eighth day喋after crackmaking喌, gēngxū喋day 47喌, clouds came from the east, covering and darkening the entire sky. In the afternoon there also appeared a rainbow from the north, drinking at the river.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 10406 reverse side喌belongs to the diviner of Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ ڤ‬䇿 䶊
Period 1喌. We only discuss the left part, which is a prognostication made by King Wǔ Dīng and verification. The omen forewarned by the King appeared eight days later: It was a dark heavy cloud, followed by the two-headed rainbow drinking at the River. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ᖀ喋yǒu ᖀ ‘to have/there is/to exist/ to be’喌is used here as yǒu喋ᰵ喌‘there is’ or ‘there exists’. The graph ⠨喋suì ⺋ ‘evil spirit’喌is used in the idiom yǒu suì ᖀ⠨ , whichcan be transcribed either as yǒu suì ᖀ Ἁ喋ᰵ ⺋ 喌or, according to Qiú Xīguī, yǒu jiù ᖀ Ⅾ喋ᰵ ঺ 喌. This idiom refers to the arising of a bad omen or evil spirit, indicating that some kind of harm or curse emanated from natural spirit or a deceased ancestor.

Piece 11

47

The graph 喋bā ‫‘ ڗ‬eight’喌is almost identical to its modern equivalent. The graph ⻱喋gè र喌depicts a foot entering a pit, signifying ‘to arrive/to stop’, equivalent to gé 喋ᵨ喌‘to arrive/to come’. Here the term gé yún喋र䰞喌indicates clouds that are associated with imminent rain or thunderstorms, such as cumulonimbus or nimbostratus clouds that f loat in the sky at a height of about 2000 m. The graph  is transcribed as huàn喋გ喌or miàn喋䲎喌
. Sūn Chángxù suggested that this graph depicts a bronze helmet of Shāng warriors and proposed that this graph is equivalent to mào 喋‫ھ‬喌‘cover/ to cover’ . The graph  depicts a kneeling female, with two dots representing breast, meaning mǔ喋⃹喌 ‘mother/female’. Here it is used as a loangraph for huì喋ᮒ 喌‘dark’. The term   mào huì喋‫ھ‬ᮒ喌describes the arrival of the low clouds, that darkened the sky and covered the ground. The graph Ⱈ喋zè ᬯ ‘afternoon/decline’喌depicts a setting sun with a long shadow of a person. It is a syssemantograph for ‘afternoon’. The graph 㖈喋chū ‫ܦ‬喌depicts a foot moving out of the pit, meaningĂto go out/to occură. The graph ᘡ喋hóng 㮥喌depicts a worm-like or snake-like creature with one head at each end. It is the protograph of hóng喋㮥喌‘rainbow’, which still retains the component chóng喋㮗喌
‘worm’. Clearly, the Shāng people must view the rainbow as some mythical two-headed worm or snake that extends over a river and drink over there. The graph ᨩ喋yǐn 丞 ‘to drink’喌depicts a person with extended tongue drinking or sipping from a wine container. It is a syssemantograph. The graph ᖪ喋yú κ喌means ‘at/in/to.’ The graph ᩵喋hé ⇟喌is the precursor of the modern character hé喋⇟喌
, which always refers to the Yellow River in ancient texts. Whether this is the case in the Shāng time is unclear. It is possible that the graph here may refer to Huán River喋≥Ⅰ喌
, which still borders Yīn Ruins at Xiǎotún喋ᄻᆛ喌
.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

48

Practice

13444

21025

13442

1JFDF
 Xīn Day Brightened Up

5

4

3

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_12

49

50

OBI

ⅺઍ㗠⥁ 㜑੉⬫ ᑄ ḝ⬫ ḝᑄ⬫

Transcription not hunt qí regret this day xīn big open not open rén big open rén not big open

Reading

[1]喋If we喌do not go hunting, this may喋cause喌regrets. [2] Today,喋this喌xīn day喋the sky喌will greatly brighten up. [3] It will not brighten up. [4]喋On the next day, a喌rén day, the sky will greatly open up. [5]喋On the next day, a喌rén day, the sky will not greatly open up.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Piece 12

51

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 30190喌belongs to the diviner Wúmíng Group喋♍ह㉰
Period 3 and 4喌. Line 1 appears to be an attempt to determine whether the King would feel regret about not going for hunting. From lines 2 to 4 the diviner asked about whether on this day, a xīn day, or on the following day, a rén day, the weather would brighten up. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ⅺ喋bǐ ᱸ ‘not’喌depicts two bows gōng喋ᐿ喌
. It is used as a negative adverb, meaning ‘not’. Here, bǐ tián喋ᱸ⩜喌means ‘喋the King喌would not go hunting’. The graph ઍ喋tián ⩜喌depicts a grid field, which can be used for hunting or farming. Here it is used as a verb meaning ‘to hunt/to go hunting’. The graph ⥁喋měi ⃻喌depicts a female with headdress. It is used here as a loangraph for huǐ喋ᗀ喌‘regret’. The terms fú huǐ喋ᑃᗀ喌and qí huǐ喋‫ڢ‬ᗀ喌are OBI idioms, meaning ‘without regret’ and ‘with regret’, respectively. Similar terms wú jiù喋ᬌ঺喌‘no mistake’ and yǒu huǐ喋ᰵᗀ喌‘with mistake’ appear in the classics Yìjīng喋ȧᬿ㊿Ȩ喌
. The graph ⥁ is also used as a loangraph for huì喋ᮒ喌‘dark/cloudy’. The graph ዅ喋qǐ ⴲ ‘opening up/brightening up’喌depicts a hand opening a window. This is a typical syssemantograph, meaning ‘to open up’. Referring to weather that the sky is brightening up, a sign of a sun rì喋ᬑ喌is sometimes added to form the graph ㆖喋ᮡ喌.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

52

Practice

30189

30206

30198

30197

1JFDF
 Changing Date

3

      

2

1

OBI

 ᜞྅ᑄ㗠੉ ੉ ᜞྅੉ © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_13

53

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

54

Transcription divine tomorrow jiǎ xū not qí change sun yĭ hài change sun tomorrow jiǎ xū change sun

Reading

[1] Divined: Tomorrow, jiǎxū喋day 11喌, will not change the date. [2] Tomorrow, jiǎxū喋day 11喌will change the date. [3] On yǐhài喋day 12喌will change the date.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 13271喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊
Period 1喌. The inscriptions asked about yìrì喋ᮥᬑ喌, a term whose meaning is not fully understood. Some scholars, like Wú Guóshēng, interpreted it as ‘the sun reappears from clouds after rain’. Others like Sūn Yíràng and Shěn Jiànhuá argued that the term should be interpreted as zérì喋᧳ᬑ喌, namely, to move and select the date of an activity so that inauspicious days can be circumvented.

55

Piece 13

Practice

14330

13272

13263

13244

1JFDF
 East is Called Xī

OBI

ંණᲐᄁ⠪Ა෈ ᆡණᲐ⮥⠪Ა⤁ ȭଆȮණᲐᇝ⠪Ა⫓ ȭ⦗ණᲐȮ⠪Ა

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_14

57

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

58

Transcription east fāng call Xī wind call Xié south fāng call Yīn wind call Kăi [west] fāng call Wéi wind call Yí [north fāng call] Fú wind call Liè

Reading

The East Fāng is named Xī,喋and喌its Wind named Xié, The South Fāng is named Yīn,喋and喌its Wind named Kăi, The West Fāng is named Wéi,喋and喌its Wind named Yí, The North Fāng is named Fú,喋and喌its wind named Liè.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 14294喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊 , Period 1喌. The inscriptions on this scapula fragment are not a record of divination charge. Rather, it reads very much like a quatrain poem about the names of the four cardinal directions and their associated winds. It is most amazing that very similar lines appear in the transmitted texts. For example, the Shānhǎijīng喋ȧᆝ⊣㊿Ȩ

The Classic of Mountains and Seas喌, the famous Chinese bestiary compiled around the fourth centuries BCE, has the following paragraphs: There is someone named Shé Dān. The East is called Shé, and the Wind that comes from there is called Jùn. He dwells in the easternmost region and causes the coming and going of the winds.喋Shānhǎijīng, Dàhuāngdōngjīng喌

Piece 14

59

There is a deity named Yīn Yīn Hū. The South is called Yīn Hū, and the Kuā Wind is called Hū Mín. He dwells in the southernmost region and causes the coming and going of the winds.喋Shānhǎijīng, Dàhuāngnánjīng喌 There is someone named Shí Yí. [The West is called Shí Yí], and the Wind that comes from there is called Wéi. He dwells in the northwest corner and controls the length and shortness of the sun and the moon.喋Shānhǎijīng, Dàhuāngxījīng喌 There is someone called Wǎn. The North is called Wǎn, and the Wind that comes from there is called Yǎn. It dwells in the easternmost corner and detains the sun and the moon. It causes them not to meet each other when they rise and set and controls their shortness and length. 喋Shānhǎijīng, Dàhuāngdōngjīng喌 In Piece 15喋Heji 14295喌, the West喋Fāng喌is named Yí and the West Wind is named Wéi, just the reverse of the order listed here. The significance of this interchange of names of Fāng喋᫥喌and Wind喋䷔喌is not clear. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ණ is the protograph of fāng喋᫥喌
. The Shāng referred to the lands outside their own as fāng喋᫥喌
. The word fāng喋᫥喌also refers to cardinal directions. When used as a suffix, fāng喋᫥喌can be translated as ‘side, border, statelet, or region’. In this piece fāng喋᫥喌is associated with the four cardinal directions, more in the spiritual sense of religious cosmology, than simple directions. This piece tells us that each fāng喋᫥喌‘direction’ and each fēng喋䷔喌‘wind’ have their own name. The graph ᄁ喋xī ᲼ ‘to separate/to divide/to analyze’喌is used as the name of the East Fāng. The graph ෈喋xié ߒ喌is used as the name of the East Wind. This graph is also used to refer to one of the five rituals employed in the five-ritual cycle. The graph ⮥喋yīn ఌ喌is used as the name of the South Fāng. The graph ⤁喋 喌, read as kǎi喋‫ܝ‬喌
, is the name of the South Wind. The graph ᇝ喋 喌, read as wéi喋䳷喌
, is the name of the West Fāng and the name for the West Wind is ⫓喋yí ᒉ喌. The graph 喋fú л喌is the name of the North Fāng and The graph ⷠ喋 or 㐓喌, read as liè喋۩喌‘cold and raw’, is the name of the North Wind.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

60

Practice

30173

1JFDF
 Performing Dì- Ritual to Northern Fāng

6

2

4

5

1

3

OBI

ᕭ ⷙණᲐ⠪Ა↲ ᕭ ⷙණᲐ⠪⡾↲ല⇼  ⷙંණᲐᄁ⠪Ა↲ല  ⷙଆණᲐ⫓⠪Ა↲ല  㜑⇼ᔂⵛ┆੉ © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_15

61

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

62

ᕭ 㜑⇼㗠ⵛ┆

Transcription xīn hài crack Nèi divine Dì to North fāng call Fú wind call Liè pray [harvest] xīn hài crack Nèi divine Dì to South fāng call Kǎi wind Yí pray harvest one moon divine Dì to East fāng call Xī wind call Xié pray harvest divine Dì to West fāng call Yí wind call Wéi pray harvest xīn hài Nèi divine this one moon Dì order rain four day jiă yín evening [rain] xīn hài crack Nèi divine this one moon [Dì] not qí order rain

Reading

[1] Crack-making on xīnhài喋day 48喌, Nèi divined: Perform the Dì-ritual to the North Fāng called Fú, the Wind called Liè. Pray for harvest. [2] Crack-making on xīnhài喋day 48喌, Nèi divined: Perform the Dì-ritual to the South Fāng called Kǎi, the Wind喋called喌Yí. Pray for harvest. First month. [3] Divined: Perform the Dì-ritual to the East Fāng called Xī, the Wind called Xié. Pray for harvest. [4] Divined: Perform the Dì-ritual to the West Fāng called Yí, the Wind called Wéi. Pray for harvest. [5]喋Crack-making on喌xīnhài喋day 48喌, Nèi divined: This first month Dì will order rain. On the fourth day, jiăyín喋day 51喌, in the evening, it rained. [6] Crack-making on xīnhài喋day 48喌, Nèi divined: This first month Dì may not order rain.

63

Piece 15

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 14295喌belongs to the diviner Duī Bīn Jiān Group喋Ⓨ䇿䪿䶊

Period 1喌. It is another famous piece containing inscriptions about the four cardinal directions喋fāng ᫥喌 and their associated winds. Unlike Heji 14294喋Piece 14喌, the inscriptions on this plastron are divination charges. Except a few discrepancies, the names for fāng and wind on this piece are identical to those on Heji 14294. The names of fāng and wind on these two pieces are listed in the following table and compared with that appeared in ancient texts. East

South

West

North

Fāng

Wind

Fāng

Wind

Fāng

Wind

Fāng

Wind

HJ14294喋bone喌

᲼



ఌ



䳷

ᒉ

л



HJ14295喋shell喌

᲼

ߒ



ᅤ

ᒉ

䳷

л



Shānhǎijīng

ោ

Ӷ

ఌͺ

ͺℽ

ⴟ๣

䳷

劣

ᕻ

Shàngshū Yáo Diǎn

᲼

ఌ

๣

ຠ

2. Graphs and Idioms Instead of fāng喋᫥喌‘domain/direction/state’ , the text of Yáo Diǎn喋ȧ൛‫ڤ‬Ȩ喌uses the word mín喋ℽ喌‘people’ . In the text of the Shānhǎijīng喋 ȧᆝ⊣㊿Ȩ 喌although the word fāng喋᫥喌 was used to indicate each direction, in the case of the South, it specifically mentioned the name of the God喋of the South喌as yīn yīn hū喋ఌఌͺ喌and the South Fāng is called yīn hū喋ఌͺ喌
. Otherwise, the names used in Shānhǎijīng for fāng喋᫥喌and fēng喋䷔喌‘wind’ are quite similar to that in Heji 14294 and Heji 14295. The graph 喋nèi ‫‘ ڱ‬inside/inner/interior’喌is the protograph of nèi喋‫ڱ‬喌
. Here it was the name of a diviner in the court of King Wǔ Dīng. The graphs ⷙ and ᔂ are both transcribed as dì喋ፉ喌and are used interchangeably. Most of the time, however, ⷙ is used as a verb dì喋⻄喌‘to perform the Dì-ritual’ whereas ᔂ is used as a noun either for喋i喌the Supreme God of Nature, who commands wind and rain, or喋ii喌the temple title for the deceased kings. For example, King Wǔ Dīng was called Dì Dīng in OBI of Period 5.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

64

The graph ↲喋hū ጺ喌is the protograph of the character qī喋ᶨ喌
, which depicts the lacquer or sap flowing from the trunk of varnish tree. It is used in OBI as a loangraph meaning ‘to pray for’, equivalent to the word qiú喋Ⅾ喌or dǎo喋⻝喌
. The Shāng idiom hū nián ↲ല喋ጺᎠ喌 can be read as qiú nián喋ⅮᎠ喌‘to pray for the harvest’. The graph ⡾ , transcribed as shī喋ᅤ喌
, depicts a squatting man, equivalent to the modern character yí喋๣喌‘barbarian’. It is used here as the name of the South Wind. A powerful rival state in Shāng time is called Yí State喋๣᫥喌
. The graph ᇊ is likely a variant of the graph ᇝ wéi喋䳷喌
, the name of the West Fāng in HJ14294. It is used here as the name of the West Wind. The graph ⵛ is the protograph of lìng喋А喌‘to order/to cause/to command’. The graph  and ⇼ , both depicting new moon, are used in OBI as either yuè喋ᰴ喌‘moon’ or xī喋แ喌‘evening’, depending on the context.

Practice

14317

14303

30394

1JFDF
 Burnt Offering to the East Mother

2

1

OBI

 ᖪ

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_16

65

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

66

Transcription

jĭ chŏu crack Huí divine next divine liáo to east mother three pigs

Reading [1] Crack-making on jĭchŏu喋day 26喌, Huí divined: next day … [2] Divined: Perform the Liáo burnt offering to the East Mother with three pigs.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 14340喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊 , Period 1喌. The first line is incomplete. The second line is about the Liáo burnt offering to Dōng Mǔ 喋Ო⃹喌
, the East Mother with three pigs. In several other OBI pieces, we read that the Liáo-ritual was also performed to Xī Mǔ喋㺫⃹喌, the West Mother. Both Dōng Mǔ and Xī Mǔ are likely to be female spirits associated with the cardinal directions. Their identity and status remains to be studied. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph  , transcribed as huí喋⧘喌
, is used here as the name of a diviner in the court of King Wǔ Dīng.

67

Piece 16

The graph 喋liáo ⛺喌and its variants  ,  ,  , ᦝ depict a pile of burning wood. It is a syssemantograph indicating that the ritual is performed by burning wood. According to received texts the Liáo喋⛺喌ritual is performed specifically in honor of Heaven. The graph ᦝ is also used as a verb meaning ‘to perform the offering ritual by burning certain animals’. The graph ⽻ depicts a kneeling female with her two hands folded in front of her. It is transcribed as mǔ喋⃹喌‘mother’ or nǚ喋ຟ喌‘female’ depending on the context. The graph  is a pictograph, equivalent to shǐ喋䆁喌‘hog/swine/pig’. Another piece, Heji 14337, bears similar inscriptions: ᦝᖪ  ጝ䙵࢈䇊⛺κᲝ⃹Ή➇  Crack-making on jǐyǒu, Quē divined:喋Perform喌the Liáo burnt offering to the East Mother using nine bovines

14337

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

68

Practice

14339

14335

14336

1JFDF
 New Big Star

1

2

OBI

⤪⠨㗠ᖀ᫔ ੉⠜⤘ᖀᭀ⬫ᕟ

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_17

69

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

70

Transcription

[not] good [have] trouble qí have coming disaster seven day jĭ sì evening toward [gēng wǔ] have new big star together fire

Reading

[1] It is inauspicious. There will be a disaster. A calamity喋catastrophe, trouble喌may come 喋within the next few days喌. [2] On the seventh day喋after the divination喌, the midnight of jĭsì喋day 6喌, when it was about to cleave into the next day gēngwǔ喋day 7喌, there appeared a new big star喋in the sky喌situated next to the Antares Star.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 11503 reverse side喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊喏
Period 1喌. It recorded an astronomical observation of the appearance of a new and bright star next to Antares, some scholars think it is a supernova. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ⠨ is transcribed as yì喋⣹喌, but its original meaning is unclear. In OBI, the idiom ‘ ᖀ⣹ ’ appears frequently in the prognostication and is interpreted as yǒu suì喋ᰵ⺋喌‘there is something haunting/there is evil spirit or bad omen’.

71

Piece 17

The graph ᫔喋jiān ᘓ / 㞝喌depicts a person喋either male or female喌kneeling before a drum and probably beating it to alert people of some imminent danger. The term lái jiān喋Ҳᘓ喌 ‘coming disaster’ is a Shāng idiom frequently seen in prognostication. The graph ᭀ喋xīn ᫜ ‘new’喌depicts an axe against a xīn喋䓇喌sign. It is the protograph of modern character xīn喋᫜喌
. The graph 喋xīng ᭋ ‘star’喌is a pictograph for ‘star’. The graph 喋bìng 〉 ‘neighboring’喌depicts two persons standing next to each other. The graph is used as a verb or adverb meaning ‘to situate next to’. The graph ᕟ喋huǒ ▗喌is a pictograph for ‘fire’. The general consensus is that the graph huǒ喋▗喌
here refers to Antares喋ᕾᭋᓯძθ喌, a giant red binary star, the brightest in the constellation Scorpio, about 424 light-years from the Earth. A line in the Shījīng Bīnfēng喋 ₐ㾕㊿e䆟䷔ₑ 喌 also used huǒ喋▗喌to refer to Antares.

Practice

11500

11501

11505

1JFDF
 Bird Star 4

5

3

2

1

OBI

⠴ᕭ ᜞ᒎᖀᖪ⬫ᒎ  ᜞ᘤᖀᖪ ᖀᖪ ᕭ    ⠜ પ ᅂ⇓Ა ᖀ⠨㗠ᖀ  ⠜  ┆⮮⵽ ┆⽋⮮ ┆ ᘤ෼   ᕭⓐ     ⬫ 

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_18

73

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

74

Transcription dīng hài crack Quē divine next gēng yín Yòu to Dà Gēng divine next xīn măo Yòu to Zŭ Xīn Yòu to Shàng Jiă bĭng shēn crack Quē divine coming yĭ sì Jiŭ Xià Yĭ king prognosticate say Jiŭ would have disaster qí have omen yĭ sì Jiŭ morning rain Fá finish rain completion Fá also rain Shī Măo bird star bǐng wǔ crack Zhēng divine coming jiǎ yín Jiŭ Dà Jiǎ

Reading

[1] Crack-making on dīnghài喋day 24喌, Quē divined: On the next gēngyín喋day 27喌,喋we would perform喌the Yòu-ritual to Dà Gēng喋K5喌. [2] Divined: On the next xīnmăo喋day 28喌,喋we would perform喌the Yòu-ritual to Zŭ Xīn喋K13喌. [3] [We would perform] the Yòu-ritual to Shàng Jiă喋PK1喌. [4] Crack-making on bĭngshēn喋day 33喌, Quē divined: On the coming yĭsì喋day 42喌,喋we would perform喌the Jiŭ-ritual for King Xià Yĭ喋K20喌
? The King prognosticated and proclaimed: 喋Perform喌the Jiŭ-ritual. There would be disaster. There may be astrological omen. On yĭsì喋day 42喌 喋performed喌the Jiŭ ritual. In the morning it rained, while performing the Fá-ritual, it finished raining, after the completion of Fá-ritual it rained again. During the Shī and Măo sacrificial rituals, the sky suddenly brightened up. [5] Crack-making on bǐngwǔ喋day 43喌, Zhēng divined: On the coming jiǎyín喋day 51喌perform the Jiŭ-ritual for Dà Jiǎ喋K3喌
?

Piece 18

75

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 11497喌belongs to the Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊 , Period 1喌. The inscriptions are about dedicating sacrificial rituals to ancestor kings including Shàng Jiă喋PK1喌, Dà Jiǎ 喋K3喌, Dà Gēng喋K5喌, Zŭ Xīn喋K13喌, and Xià Yĭ喋K20喌. The heavenly stem of the date chosen is the same as the ‘stem temple name’ of the king. For example, the Yòu-ritual for Dà Gēng喋K5喌would be performed on the day gēngyín喋day 27喌
. Line 4 was unusually long, 37 words, and described the rituals in unusual detail. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋yòu ҽ喌refers to a certain offering ritual dedicated to ancestral spirits. The graph  depicts a hand holding a stick beating something. Li Xuéqín read it as shè喋㽙喌 ‘to display’, equivalent to zhào喋‫ٲ‬喌
, ‘omen’. Yú Xǐngwú
suggested that the graph refers to specific omen revealed by Nature. The term ᖀ喋yǒu shè ᰵ㽙喌means some natural phenomenon portends as an omen. Takashima interpreted as ‘thunder’. The term ෼喋niǎo xīng 刑ᭋ喌has two possible interpretations:喋i喌It refers to Bird Star, the one mentioned in the Yáodiǎn喋 ȧ൛ ‫ ڤ‬Ȩ

Canon of Yáo喌of the Shàngshū喋ȧᅆ ᰤ Ȩ喌 and the Shǐjì喋Book of History喌, referring to zhūquè qīxiù喋ᱝ 䯬 ̯ ძ 喌
.喋ii喌The graph  is equivalent to qíng喋ᮠ喌‘clear sky’ and thus niǎo xīng means ‘suddenly brighten up’. If one takes into account that there has been a long tradition using stars to decide whether an omen is auspicious or not, one is tempted to conclude that niǎo xīng here does refer to the Bird Star. But if one considers the context of the sacrificial rituals described in this piece, it is difficult to understand that the rituals performed would last from dawn to night until the Bird Star became visible. In addition, there are terms such as in niǎo dà qǐ喋刑 ๓ ઋ

niǎo open up喌in OBI喋e.g. Heji 11499喌, which would suggest that the graph xīng  is semantically equivalent to the term dà qǐ喋๓ઋ喌‘brighten-up of the sky’. Thus, we interpret the bone graph  here as an equivalent of the character qíng喋ᮠ喌‘clear sky/bright sky’. The graph ⮮喋fá м喌depicts beheading with a dagger. The Fá-ritual most likely involves the act of beheading. The graph ⽋喋xián ৤喌is used as an adverb meaning ‘completely/ completed’. The term xián fá喋৤м喌means the completion of the Fá-ritual. The term ᖀ⠨喋yǒu suì ᰵ⺋喌was frequently used in prognostication, meaning there would indeed be a disaster or ill omen. The two graphs 喋shī Ἆ ‘to beat to death with club’喌and ᘤ喋mǎo ࢛ ‘to cut to half’喌 depict two different methods of sacrificing the ceremonial animals.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

76

Practice

11499

11500

11498

1JFDF
 Eclipse of Sun and Moon

3

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_19

77

78

OBI

 ᖪ ᖪ ᖪ⼒೙  ੉⇼৾ⵜ  ੉⇼ⵜ  ⧫  㗠⧫⽸

Transcription

guĭ yǒu divine at Shàng Jiă at South Xī at straight capital North guĭ yǒu divine sun moon have eat would approve guĭ yǒu divine sun moon have eat not approve yĭ hài divine Yòu Yī Yĭn yĭ hài divine qí Yòu Yī Yĭn two cows

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

79

Piece 19

Reading [1] On guĭyǒu喋day 10喌, divined:喋Make offering喌at喋the Temple of喌Shàng Jiă喋PK1喌, at the Nán Xī喋South Temple喌, at the North of Zhèng Jīng喋Main Building喌
. [2] On guĭyǒu喋day 10喌, divined: If the sun or moon is eaten喋if there is a solar or lunar eclipse喌, will this be good? On guĭyǒu喋day 10喌, divined: If the sun or moon is eaten喋if there is a solar or lunar eclipse喌, will this not be good? [3] On yĭhài喋day 12喌, divined:喋Should we offer喌the Yòu-ritual to Yī Yĭn? On yĭhài喋day 12喌, divined:喋Should we喌possibly喋offer喌the Yòu-ritual to Yī Yĭn, sacrificing two cows?

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 33694喌belongs to diviner Lì Èr Group喋₣ θ
Period 1 and 2喌
. The inscriptions can be divided into three sections. The first one asks whether some rituals should be performed at the Temple of Shàng Jiă喋̶⩞喌
, the Nán Xī喋South Temple?喌
, or the north of Zhēng Jīng喋₏Ϙ

the Main Building?喌
. Shàng Jiă was the first one among the pre-dynastic kings喋PK喌
, an ancestral group called xiānwáng喋‫ٴ‬⢷喌
. The second section is about whether there would be a solar or lunar eclipse. The third section is about sacrificial offering to Yī Yĭn喋ж ᅥ喌
, the venerable Prime Minister who helped the King Dà Yǐ to establish Shāng Dynasty. 2. There are three different views on the interpretation of the second section:喋i喌The charge asked whether sun eclipse or lunar eclipse was a good or bad omen?喋ii喌As the OBI graphs for ᰴ and แ in Period IV are almost identical, the words ᬑᰴᰵ下 could be read as ᬑแᰵ下 ‘there was sun eclipse around sunset time’.喋iii喌The graphs for ᬑ and ᰴ should be combined and are actually one character míng喋ᬺ喌‘early morning’. Lǐ Xuéqín took the third view and considered this piece as an evidence for sun eclipse. Here we adopted the first interpretation.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

80

3. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋xī ‫ښ‬喌may refer to:喋i喌the name of an ancestral spirit, or喋ii喌some religious building, like temple. The graph ⼒喋zhēng ₏喌can be used as喋i喌a verb, zhēng喋ᒭ喌‘to attack, to invade’,喋ii喌an adjective, ‘normal, standard, formal, main’,喋iii喌an adjective or adverb, zú喋䋟喌‘ample, sufficient, enough’, or喋iv喌a verb, ‘to perform some sacrificial ritual’. The graph ೙喋jīng Ϙ喌depicts a building structure. It refers to a certain type of Shāng religious buildings. The graph ば喋yòu ࣴ喌depicts a right hand. It has the following meanings:喋i喌yǒu喋ᰵ喌‘to have’,喋ii喌yòu喋ࣴ喌‘again’,喋iii喌yòu喋⹼喌or喋ѽ喌‘blessing’,喋iv喌yòu喋ҽ喌‘to present sacred rites’. Here, yuè yǒu shí喋ᰴᰵ下喌means ‘the moon has an eclipse’. The graph 喋shí 下喌depicts a mouth on top of food utensil or a lid covering a food utensil. It is the protograph of shí喋下喌‘to eat’. Here, yuè yǒu shí喋ᰴᰵ下喌literally means that ‘the moon was eaten’, hence ‘lunar eclipse’. The graph ৾喋zhuī 䯥喌is a pictograph for bird. It is used as loangraph for wéi喋ᘋ喌or wéi 喋ਜ਼喌‘only’, a form word or yǔcí喋㿊㾊喌that has auxiliary grammatical function. The graph ⵜ喋ruò 㠑喌depicts a person kneeling with two hands combing the hair. In OBI, this graph is interpreted as shùn喋䴲喌‘to permit/to listen to/to follow’, similar to that used in ancient texts. For example, we read in Tiānwèn喋ȧ๕੻Ȩ

Questions to Heaven喌phrases like ér hòu dì bù ruò喋㔸ᒸፉ̹㠑喌‘then the God would not permit’ and dì fú ruò喋ፉᑃ 㠑喌‘the God did not permit’. The graph 喋pái ᢾ喌is a negative adverb, used in a similar way as fēi喋䲊喌or fěi喋ࡖ喌in ancient texts. The graph ⧫喋yī ж喌refers to the name of a famous prime minister of the founding King Dà Yǐ喋๓΅喌
. The graph 喋yǐn ᅥ喌depicts a hand holding a pen. It is used as a syssemantograph, meaning ‘minister/to administer’. It is used here as a title of an official.

81

Piece 19

Practice

11483

1JFDF
 Xún No Disaster

4

3

2 1

1




(obverse side)

(reverse side)

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_20

83

84

OBI 喋 obverse side喌

 ᙈ⥌  ᙈ⥌ ᛐ ᙈ⥌ ᘤ ᙈ⥌ 喋 reverse side喌

ḝ⇼ᖀ

Transcription

喋obverse side喌 guǐ chǒu divine xún no disaster guǐ hài divine xún no disaster guǐ yǒu divine xún no disaster guǐ măo divine xún no disaster 喋reverse side喌 xún rén shēn evening moon have eat

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Piece 20

85

Reading

喋obverse side喌 On guǐchǒu喋day 50喌
, divined: In the next ten days would there be no disaster? On guǐhài喋day 60喌
, divined: In the next ten days would there be no disaster? On guǐyǒu喋day 10喌
, divined: In the next ten days would there be no disaster? On guǐmăo喋day 40喌
, divined: In the next ten days would there be no disaster? 喋reverse side喌 Ten days喋later喌
, on the evening of rénshēn喋day 9喌
, there was lunar eclipse.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 11482喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊
Period 1喌
. The front side are typical bǔxún喋࢈ᬘ喌inscriptions, asking about whether the next ten-day cycle would be fine. The back side recorded that lunar eclipse occurred 69 days after the first cracking on guǐchǒu喋day 50喌
. 2. The graph ⥌ depicts a cracking mark喋࢈喌inside the sign of a shoulder blade. This graph is the protograph of huò喋⺹喌‘disaster’.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

86

Practice







4945

00522

1JFDF
 Moon was Eclipsed

2 1

OBI

ᕭⓐ  ᑿᙈ⥌ ᑗ੉ᛐ ⇼ᖀᛴ ∉ ⇼

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_21

87

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

88

Transcription

guĭ wèi crack Zhēng divine xún no disasters three day yĭ yŏu night moon have eclipse report eight moon

Reading

[1] Crack-making on guĭwèi喋day 20喌
, Zhēng divined: In the next ten-day week, there would be no disasters. [2] On the third day, yĭyŏu喋day 22喌
, at night, there was a lunar eclipse. This喋eclipse喌was reported. The eighth month.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 11485喌belongs to the diviner Bīn Sān Group喋䇿 ̵ 䶊 , Period 1喌
. It is about a routine divination for every 10-day week喋xún ᬘ喌
. Three days after the divination, there occurred a lunar eclipse. This unusual event was reported. Lunar eclipses recorded in OBI, like this one, provide us reliable data for astronomical dating. 2. The graph ∉ depicts a kneeling person with a big ear. It is the early form of the modern character wén喋㖊喌
, meaning ‘heard/informed’.

89

Piece 21

Practice

11484

1JFDF
 Night Wind

2

1

3

2 1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_22

91

92

OBI 喋obverse side喌

྅ᕭ஗ 㜑੉㗠⠪  㜑੉⠪  喋reverse side喌

⭵ ସጘⓐ

Transcription 喋obverse side喌 wù xū crack Yŏng divine this day qí evening wind divine this day not evening wind not apply vermilion 喋reverse side喌 Lù send fifty Fù Liáng display ten Zhēng

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Piece 22

93

Reading

喋obverse side喌 [1] Crack-making on wùxū喋day 35喌
, Yŏng divined: Today will there perhaps be windy in the evening? [2] Divined: Today will there not be windy in the evening? [3] Do not apply vermilion. 喋reverse side喌 [1] Lù sent in fifty喋shells or plastrons喌. [2]喋Lady喌Fù Liáng ritually prepared ten喋shells喌,喋recorded by喌 喋diviner喌Zhēng.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 13338喌belongs to the diviner Bīn Yī Group喋䇿 ̬ 䶊

Period 1喌
. The inscriptions on the front side are about whether it would be windy in the evening. There are two lines of the typical jiǎ qiáo kè cí喋⩞ ί ‫ ݧ‬䓙 喌‘marginal notation’ on the reverse side, stating that Lù, a lord of neighboring statelet, sent in 50 pieces of turtle shells and plastrons and that Lady Fù Liáng, a royal woman, ritually prepared 10 shells for divination. At the end of the ‘marginal notation’, there is the name of the diviner Zhēng, suggesting that the diviner is involved on the ritual processing of the shells and plastrons. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ஗喋yŏng Ⅴ喌is the name of a diviner. The graph ସ喋zhŏu ፆ喌is the proto-graph of fù ྒ ‘woman/lady’. It was used as a title for royal lady. The graph 喋liáng 㞛喌was used here as a personal name. The graph ⭵喋lù喌is a personal name or someone from the Lù Statelet. The graph ጘ喋shì ⹦喌depicts the ancestral tablet. Here, it was used as a verb referring to ritual preparation of bones and shells for divination. The graph is tentatively transcribed as; its etymological origin is unclear. The graph  depicts a spider or mitelike insect. We suggested that it was used in OBI as a loangraph for zhū ⵯ喋red pigment, cinnabar, vermilion).

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

94

3. The term bùwǔzhū喋̹吰

喌is called zhào cí喋‫ٲ‬䓙喌or crack notations, used to denote the technical aspects related to crack-making and interpretation. The precise meaning is unclear. We have proposed that it may be related to the tradition of applying red cinnabar pigment onto the shell, plastrons, and bones to brighten the engraved inscriptions. 4. The reverse side recorded two marginal notations: one is ‘incoming notation’ denoted by the verb rù喋‫ڑ‬喌
, the other is related to ritual preparation of shells and bones, denoted by the verb shì喋⹦ 喌
. The graph 喋rù ‫‘ ڑ‬to enter/to bring into’喌means that some nobles brought in turtle shells, plastrons or animal bones for royal use. The graph ጘ喋shì ⹦ ‘to display’喌here means ‘to ritually prepare’ as shells, plastrons, and scapulae require meticulous preparation for divination use.

Practice

13333 ₏

13333 ࣹ

1JFDF
 Flag Shows No Wind

OBI

ហ㗠⮊〭ᙈ⠪⇼ ᙈ⠪੉

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_23

95

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

96

Transcription bĭng zĭ qí stand flag no wind eight moon no wind change day

Reading On bĭngzĭ喋day 13喌
,喋we喌planted a flag喋to discern wind喌
, and there was no wind.喋It is喌the eighth month. There was no wind, and the date was changed.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 07369喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊 , Period 1喌
. The inscription is about using an flagpole-like instrument to monitor wind directions. 2. Graphs and Idioms For the term lì zhōng喋⿷͙喌
, most scholars consider zhōng喋͙喌as a flagpole or flagpolelike instrument used for monitoring the speed and direction of wind. This flagpole can also function as a gnomon or sundial to monitor the sun’s trajectory. Thus, lì zhōng喋⿷͙喌could be translated as ‘to set up a flagpole’ or ‘to set up a gnomon’. Some scholars considered lì zhōng喋⿷͙喌as a cosmological-ritual act and hence interpreted it as ‘to set oneself up in the center’. Here we adopt the first interpretation because of the close association of this term with wind and sun. The graph ᑕ was derived from the graph ᔺ , which signifies the transfer of liquid from one to another jar. Hence the primary meaning of  is yì喋ᬿ 喌‘to change’. With regard to the term yì rì喋ᮥᬑ喌
, three possible interpretations stand out:喋i喌The sun is changed by going away, thus meaning the sky becomes cloudy;喋ii喌The sun is changed by coming back, thus meaning the sky brighten up;喋iii喌The date is changed for a more auspicious date. Here we adopt the third interpretation.

97

Piece 23

Practice

07370

07371

1JFDF
 Pacifying Wind

OBI

ᕭ ⦹⠪↱຦

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_24

99

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

100

Transcription xīn yŏu crack pacify wind Wū nine pigs

Reading Crack-making on xīnyŏu喋day 58喌
: Pacify the Wind,喋by offering喌the Wū nine pigs.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 34138喌belongs to the diviner Lì Èr Group喋₣ θ 䶊
, Period 1 and 2喌
. The inscriptions are about asking the Wū Spirit to pacify the Wind by offering nine pigs as sacrifice. 2. Graphs and Idioms The phrase ‘níng fēng wū’喋ᄓ䷔጗喌is equivalent to ‘níng fēng yú wū’喋ᄓ䷔κ጗喌
, meaning ‘to pacify wind at Wū’. In another piece Heji 32301, we have yú tǔ níng fēng喋κ ోᄓ䷔
, to pacify wind at Tǔ喌, indicating that the Shāng performed rituals toward Tǔ喋ో喌 or Wū喋጗喌in order to have the Wind spirit pacified. The graph ⦹喋tíng ૹ喌depicts a vessel put on top of a table, implying tranquil and stable. It is used as a syssemantograph, meaning ‘to pacify/to calm down’. In OBI, this graph was used with rain, water, illness, or wind, meaning ‘to mitigate or to pacify them’. The graph ↱喋wū ጗ ‘shaman/priest’喌here probably refers to some kind of deity. The graph  is the protograph of jiǔ喋Ή喌‘nine’.

101

Piece 24

Practice

34137

34144

1JFDF
 Wine Libation and Bundle Ceremony

OBI

㒨 ᏗḝᏗ⬫ ⬫⠴⬫⬫ᒎ 

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_25

103

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

104

Transcription yĭ wèi Jiŭ bundle pǐn Shàng Jiă ten Bào Yĭ three Bào Bĭng three Bào Dīng three Shì Rén three Shì Guĭ three Dà Yĭ ten Dà Dīng ten Dà Jiă ten Dà Gēng seven Xiăo Jiă three [Dà Wù ten Zhōng Dīng ten Jiān Jiǎ] three Zŭ Yĭ [ten Qiāng Jiǎ three]

Reading On yĭwèi喋day 56喌
, perform the Jiŭ-ritual and offer bundles of ceremonial items. Ten for Shàng Jiă喋PK1喌
, three for Bào Yĭ喋PK2喌
, three for Bào Bĭng喋PK3喌
, three for Bào Dīng喋PK4喌
, three for Shì Rén喋PK5喌
, three for Shì Guĭ喋PK6喌
, ten for Dà Yĭ喋K1喌
, ten for Dà Dīng喋K2喌
, ten for Dà Jiă喋K3喌
, seven for Dà Gēng喋K5喌, three for Xiăo Jiă喋K6喌
, ten for Dà Wù喋K7喌,


ten for Zhōng Dīng喋K9喌
, three for Jiān Jiǎ喋K11喌
, ten for Zǔ Yǐ喋K12喌
, and three for Qiāng Jiǎ喋K14喌
.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 32384喌belongs to the diviner Lì Èr Group喋₣θ䶊
Period 1 and 2喌. The inscriptions describe the offering of ceremonial objects to a host of ancestral kings, both predynastic and dynastic. Wáng Guówéi was the first to identify all the kings listed on this piece and thus was able to compare them with that recorded by Sīmǎ Qiān in the Shǐjì喋ȧञ㽄Ȩ喌
. The names and sequence of 29 dynastic kings and 6 pre-dynastic kings found in the oracle bone inscriptions were almost identical to that in the Shǐjì喋see Appendix 4喌. The lineage of Shāng kings can be divided into two categories, one is the main line of descent, known as dàzōng喋๓Ⴣ喌
; the other is the side line of descent, known as xiǎozōng喋ᄻჃ喌
. In this piece, all kings in the dàzōng category received ten ceremonial objects喾except Dà Gēng喋๓Ꮖ喌
, but this could be an inscriptional mistake made by the engraver嗀, whereas kings in the xiǎozōng category received only three items.

Piece 25

105

2. Graphs and Idioms Jiŭ喋ᄀ喌is a ritual that probably involves wine offering. The bone graph 喋pǐn ৭ ‘item’喌 refers to items such as jade, land, and even people喋e.g. slaves, war prisoners喌. The graph 喋xì  ‘to tie’喌depicts silk bundles that are tied together. If we consider xì pǐn 喋৭喌as one term, it would refer to some ritual that includes getting certain items bundled or tied together for offering. The graph  is a composite of ⓸喋bào ൝ ‘a temple or a container for ancestral tablet’喌 and 喋yǐ ΅ ‘the second heaven stem’喌. The graph 喋bào yǐ ൝΅喌is the temple name of the second pre-dynastic king喋PK2喌, after Shàng Jiă. The temple names of the third and the fourth pre-dynastic kings are, respectively, 喋bào bǐng ൝ͅ喌and 喋bào dīng ൝̭喌
. The graph Ꮧ shì depicts the ancestral tablet. Here, Ꮧ ḝ and Ꮧ  are the temple names of pre-dynastic kings Shì Rén喋⹦ธ喌and Shì Guǐ喋⹦⮤喌
, respectively. The graph  is a composite graph and reads as Xiǎo Jiǎ喋ᄻ⩞

K6喌.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

106

Practice

32437

34526

32227

34532

1JFDF
 Ten Shì with Rams

3 1

2

OBI

ᕭ↲┆ኃᏗ໥⁔ ᕭ ⠴໥Ꮧ ┆ኃ © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_26

107

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

108

Transcription

[ jǐ] wèi crack pray rain from Shàng Jiă Dà Yĭ Dà Dīng Dà Jiă Dà Gēng Dà Wù Zhōng Dīng Zŭ Yĭ Zŭ Xīn Zŭ Dīng ten tablets all rams [gēng] shēn crack … not xīn yŏu …[Dà Yĭ] Dà Dīng Dà Jiă Dà Wù [Dà] Gēng [Zhōng] Dīng Zŭ Xīn Zŭ Dīng all tablets [pray] rain from Shàng Jiă Dà Yĭ Dà Dīng Dà Jiă Dà Gēng …

Reading

[1] Crack-making on jǐwèi喋day 56喌:喋Perform the ritual喌praying for rain to Shàng Jiă喋PK1喌, Dà Yĭ喋K1喌, Dà Dīng喋K2喌, Dà Jiă喋K3喌, Dà Gēng喋K5喌, Dà Wù喋K7喌, Zhōng Dīng 喋K9喌, Zŭ Yĭ喋K12喌, Zŭ Xīn喋K13喌, and Zŭ Dīng喋K15喌, the ten ancestral tablets, all 喋would be offered with sacrificial喌rams. [2] Crack-making on gēngshēn喋day 57喌: … not xīnyŏu喋day 58喌… Dà Yĭ, Dà Dīng, Dà Jiă, Dà Wù, Dà Gēng, Zhōng Dīng, Zŭ Yĭ, Zŭ Xīn, Zŭ Dīng, all the ancestral tablets. [3] Pray for rain to喋the ancestors喌from Shàng Jiă to Dà Yĭ, Dà Dīng, Dà Jiă, Dà Gēng …

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 32385喌belongs to the diviner Yǒu Group喋ᖀ䶊
Period 1喌. The inscriptions are about offering sacrificial rams to ten ancestral kings. The graph ጘ喋shì ⹦喌depicts the ancestral tablet. The term shí shì喋࡭⹦喌‘ten ancestral tablets’ means ancestral kings spanning ten generations along the main lineage line. Although partially broken, it is clear that each king in the main linage was evoked in an apparently urgent pray for their help in bringing rainfall. The missing names can be easily identified based on the lineage sequence of shí shì喋࡭⹦喌
.

Piece 26

109

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ໥喋shuài ⢳喌depicts a rope associated with four dots. The original meaning is unclear. Here, it is used as an adverb meaning ‘completely, totally’. Thus, the term shuài mǔ 喋⢳喌means ‘all are rams’. The two graphs yǔ喋䰔喌‘rain’ and zì喋㜖喌‘from’ in the first line were engraved outside the main column, likely due to engraver’s error. The graph ↲喋hū ⹷喌can be translated either as qiú喋Ⅾ喌‘to beg for’ or dǎo喋⻝喌‘to pray for’. Here, the King prayed to major ancestor Kings for rainfall. In OBI, gender sign was sometimes used to indicate the sex of the animal. Thus, mǔ喋 喌 and
mǔ喋➍ 喌refer to male sheep喋ram喌and male cow, respectively. In modern Chinese, however, the word mǔ喋➍喌is used to refer male animal generically. The graph  is a composite for Dà Yĭ喋๓΅喌
. Similarly, all kings’ temple names were written in composite form.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

110

Practice

32447

34117

32439

1JFDF
 From Shàng Jiă to Duō Hòu

      

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_27

111

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

112

OBI

ᕭ 㒨ᑔ੉ኃ 㜬ᖪዂᙈ⾄ኃ  Transcription guĭ wèi king crack divine Jiǔ Róng Rì from Shàng Jiă to at many ancestors Yī no disaster from disaster at four moon zhuī king two ritual

Reading

Crack-making on guĭwèi喋day 20喌, the King divined: Perform Jiǔ-ritual and Róng Rì-ritual. Dedicate the Yī-ritual to all ancestors inclusive, from Shàng Jiă喋PK1喌down to every ancestral king喋on the list of the five-ritual cycle喌. No disaster would ever occur, at the fourth month, in the regnal second ritual cycle of the King.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 37836喌belongs to the diviner Huáng Group喋台㉰ , Period 5喌. The inscriptions are about some ceremonial activities dedicated to ancestral kings from Shàng Jiă喋̶ ⩞

PK1喌down to Duō Hòu喋ๆऺ喌
. The term Duō Hòu
refers to all the kings and queens that were included in the dedication list of the five-ritual cycle. The date recorded for this piece is the second year of King Dì Yǐ喋K28喌,

Piece 27

113

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋yù ⃿喌is composed of a female sign and a sign of an inverted child, depicting birth giving. The derived meaning is ‘progenitor/descendant’. The graph ࿑喋yī 㶏喌depicts clothes. When used as adverb, it means ‘together/combined’. When used as a proper noun, it refers to a particular kind of ritual called Yī, dedicated to all ancestral kings and queens. The graph ⾄喋tā 喌depicts a snake against a foot. As a syssemantograph, it means ‘harm/ disaster/to harm’. The term wáng tā喋ύ喌is equivalent to wú huò喋♍⺹喌
, meaning ‘no disaster’. The graph ᴕ喋huò  喌is interpreted as huò喋⺹喌‘disaster’. The idiom ‘wáng tā zì huò’喋ύ㜖喌was always used in the ceremonial context, probably indicating the wish that no disaster would occur during the ceremony. The graph ᑔ喋róng ῐ or 㗈喌is one of the five rituals performed in the five-ritual cycle. Dǒng Zuòbīn喋Tung Tso-pin喌suggested that the Róng- ritual involved drum beat. This ritual is also called róng rì喋㗈ᬑ喌
. The graph 喋sì ⹬喌is used here to refer to the completion of one five-ritual cycle. Since it took about 36 or 37 xún喋ᬘ

10-day week喌to complete a full ritual cycle, the Shāng court used the term sì喋⹬喌to record regnal year. Thus, the term ‘zhuī wáng èr sì’喋䯥⢷θ⹬喌 is equivalent to the regnal second year of the King.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

114

Practice

34093

35404

115

Piece 27

10111

1JFDF
 Ten and Three Shì

2

1

OBI

 ⬫↲  㗠↲ኃᏗば⽸ᑣᏗ㤥

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_28

117

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

118

Transcription

yĭ wèi divine to Dà Jiă pray yĭ wèi divine qí pray from Shàng Jiă ten tablets with three cows small tablets sheep

Reading

[1] Crack-making on yĭwèi喋day 32喌, divined: Should we pray to Dà Jiă? [2] Crack-making on yĭwèi喋day 32喌, divined: Should we perhaps pray to the thirteen ancestral tablets喋generations喌starting from Shàng Jiă喋inclusive喌by offering cow; and to the ancestral tablets喋generations喌of the side line of descent by offering sheep?

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 34117喌belongs to the diviner Lì Èr Group喋₣θ䶊 , Period 1 and 2喌. The first line is a divination about the prayers to Dà Jiă喋K3喌. The second line is a divination asking about the prayers to thirteen generations of ancestral kings with cow as offering. In addition, prayers would also go to other lesser ancestors, and whether sheep should be offered. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ↲喋hū ⹷喌was used as a verb, meaning ‘to pray to ancestral spirits for things like rain, harvest, protection etc,’ equivalent to qí qiú喋⹴Ⅾ喌, or qiú dǎo喋Ⅾ⻝喌. The phrase ‘shí shì yòu sān’喋࡭⹦̵ࣴ喌refers to the thirteen ancestral kings in the main line of descent starting from Shàng Jiǎ. The graph shì Ꮧ depicts the spirit tablet or altar put in the ancestral temple to symbolize the spirit of the ancestor. The term ‘xiǎo shì’喋ᄻ⹦喌refers to the ancestral kings or ancestors not in the main line of descent, i.e. side line of descent.

119

Piece 28

Practice

14875

32440

32330

1JFDF
 Yì-Ritual for Shàng Jiă on jiăxū

OBI

ហᘬ ḝ  

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_29

121

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

122

Transcription jiă xū Yì Shàng Jiă yĭ hài Yì Bào Yĭ bĭngzĭ Yì Bào Bĭng [dīng chŏu Yì ] Bào Dīng rén wŭ Yì Shì Rén guĭ wèi Yì Shì Guĭ [dīnghài] Yì Dà Dīng [jiǎwǔ] Yì [Dà Jiǎ] [gēngzĭ] Yì Dà Gēng

Reading

On jiăxū喋day 11喌perform the Yì-ritual to Shàng Jiă喋PK1喌, On yĭhài喋day 12喌perform the Yì-ritual to Bào Yĭ喋PK2喌, On bĭngzĭ喋day 13喌perform the Yì-ritual to Bào Bĭng喋PK3喌, On dīngchŏu喋day 14喌perform the Yì-ritual to Bào Dīng喋PK4喌, On rénwŭ喋day 19喌perform the Yì-ritual to Shì Rén喋PK5喌, On guĭwèi喋day 20喌perform the Yì-ritual to Shì Guĭ喋PK6喌, On dīnghài喋day 24喌perform the Yì-ritual to Dà Dīng喋K2喌, On jiǎwǔ喋day 31喌perform the Yì-ritual to Dà Jiǎ喋K3喌, On gēngzĭ喋day 37喌perform the Yì-ritual to Dà Gēng喋K5喌.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 35406喌belongs to the diviner Huáng Group喋台㉰ , Period 5喌. The inscriptions are about performing Yì-ritual to ancestral kings. Of note is that the gān喋᎞喌‘heavenly stem’ for the date and for the temple name of the ancestral king are identical. For example, the ritual performed for Shàng Jiă was on the date of jiăxū. The Shāng mythology has made association of the ten heavenly stems with ten suns in the sky. Through this association, the Shāng liturgist was able to transform the solar time system from an astronomical landscape to the ancestral landscape. 2. The graph ᜞ and ᱺ are equivalent and both can be transcribed as yì喋㓸喌meaning ‘tomorrow’ or ‘to perform Yì-ritual’. The first graph ᜞ probably depicts an insect wing or bird feather. The second one contains an additional sign ‘lì ’喋⿷喌
, which serves as a phonetic element. The Yìritual is one of the rituals employed in the five-ritual cycle.

123

Piece 29

Practice

32508

32329

1JFDF
 King Dà Yĭ with Queen Bĭ Bĭng

OBI

ᕭ ❲ ⮸੉ᙈ

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_30

125

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

126

Transcription bĭng yín crack divine king bīn Dà Yĭ shì Bĭ Bĭng Yì Rì no disaster

Reading

Crack-making on bĭngyín喋day 3喌, divined: The King performed the Bīn hosting ritual for Dà Yĭ’s official consort Bĭ Bĭng,喋and the King喌performed the Yì Rì ceremony. There were no troubles.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 36194喌belongs to the diviner Huáng Group喋台 ㉰ , Period 5喌. The Yì Rìritual was performed for Bǐ Bǐng, the official consort of Dà Yǐ喋K1喌. The original meaning of the graph ⮸喋shì ນ喌is not clear, but it is always used to link the king and his official consort in OBI. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ❲喋bīn 䇿喌has many variants. It consists of three signs:  ,  ,  , depicting a foot, a building, and a musician喋or music officer喌, respectively. Some variants replaced  with 喋rén Ϧ ‘man’喌, or 喋nǚ ຟ ‘female’喌. It is interpreted as bīn喋‫ؼ‬喌, meaning ‘to respectfully host’. The Yì Rì-ritual was dedicated to Queen Bǐ Bǐng喋໏ͅ喌
, the official spouse of King Dà Yǐ 喋๓΅喌 喋K1喌. Note that the ritual was performed on the day of bǐng喋ͅ喌
, a heavenly stem identical to the stem name of Bǐ Bǐng喋໏ͅ喌
. The graph 喋yóu ᅐ喌depicts a cut over a right hand thumb. It is used as a syssemantograph, meaning ‘harm/disaster/regret’. The term wáng yóu喋ύᅐ喌‘no harm/no disaster’ has a similar meaning as other terms such as wáng hài喋ύჟ喌
, wáng jiù喋ύ⟸
ύ঺喌, or wáng zāi喋ύ▩喌
.

127

Piece 30

Practice

27503

36261

1JFDF
 Ceremonial Yòu Suì for Brother Jĭ

2

1

OBI

ᕭ㗠ばᖪ⫝⽸ ᕭ㗠ば⢗⫝ᒎ㡨 © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_31

129

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

130

Transcription

jĭ wèi crack qì Yòu Suì to Xiōng Jĭ one bovine jĭ wèi crack qì Yòu Suì with Xiōng Gēng láo

Reading

[1] Crack-making on jĭwèi喋day 56喌: Should喋we喌offer the Yòu- and Suì-ritual to Xiōng Jĭ 喋Brother Jĭ喌,喋sacrifice喌one cow? [2] Crack-making on jĭwèi喋day 56喌: Should喋we喌offer the Yòu- and Suì-ritual to Xiōng Gēng 喋Brother Gēng喌, together喋with the Xiōng Jĭ喌,喋sacrifice喌one penned cow?

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 27615喌belongs to the diviner Lì Wúmíng Jiān Group喋₣ ♍ ह 䪿 䶊 , Period 3喌. The inscriptions are about, both divined on yǐwèi喋day 56喌. The first is about some sacrificial ceremony dedicated to Brother Jĭ喋Zŭ Jĭ ⺂ጝ喌and Brother Gēng喋Zŭ Gēng, K24喌. The mentioning of these two brothers of the King put this piece squarely in the time frame of the reign of Zŭ Jiă喋K23喌, as both Zŭ Jĭ and Zŭ Gēng were Zŭ Jiă’s brothers. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ば喋yòu ࣴ喌depicts a right hand. Used as a syssemantograph, it means ‘right’ as in ‘right hand’. The graph ば is also used as yòu喋ࣴ 喌‘again’, yòu喋ѽ 喌‘to bless’, yòu 喋ҽ喌‘Yòu-ritual’, or yǒu喋ᰵ喌‘to have’. The graph  or ㆏喋suì ₞喌depicts a dagger-like weapon. In OBI, it is used as喋i喌suì喋₞喌 ‘year’,喋ii喌suì喋₞喌‘Suì-ritual’, or喋iii喌guì喋޸喌‘to pierce and kill’. The graph ⢗喋tà ⱀ喌depicts an eye with tear drops. The graph means ‘with/together with’, similar to the modern word jì喋ᯔ喌‘together with/also’. Here, it means that the ritual dedicated to Xiōng Jǐ would be extended also to Xiōng Gēng. The graph 㡨喋láo ➎喌depicts a cow inside a pen, indicating a specially raised cow, probably used only for sacrificial purpose.

131

Piece 31

Practice

23187

27617

23477

1JFDF

Arrived at Temple of Hé

       

OBI

ᕭ ᅂ⵭ Transcription

xīn sì crack divine Wáng Hài Shàng Jiă arrive at Hé

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_32

133

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

134

Reading

Crack-making on xīnsì喋day 18喌, divined:喋The spirit tablets of喌Wáng Hài and Shàng Jiă 喋PK1喌have arrived at喋the temple of喌Hé.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 34294喌belongs to the diviner Lì Èr Group喋₣ θ 䶊 , Period 1 and 2喌. The bone graph ⵭喋jí ࢟喌depicts a person kneeling in front of a food utensil, meaning ‘to take a meal’, hence also implying ‘to approach’ or ‘to arrive at some place’. An alternative interpretation is that jí喋࢟喌is a ceremony for inviting ancestors or spirits for meal. Here, the divination was about whether the spirits of Wáng Hài喋⢷ϑ喌and Shàng Jiǎ喋̶⩞喌, which resided in the tablets, would come to the Temple of Hé. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph  is a composite of graph zhuī喋䯥喌‘short-tail bird’ and graph hài喋ϑ喌‘an earthly branch’. This composite graph was specifically used only as the name of Wáng Hài. It is of interest to note that a paragraph in the Shānhǎijīng喋 ȧᆝ ⊣ ㊿ Ȩ 喌
, described vividly the connection between Wáng Hài and the ‘bird’. The graph 喋hé ⇟喌refers either to a river, specifically the Yellow River, or an ancestral spirit called Hé. Sometimes Hé took the title gāozǔ喋倄⺂喌‘high ancestor’, a status enjoyed only by Wáng Hài喋⢷ϑ喌
, Yuè喋ᇟ喌and Náo喋฾喌
, all belong to the highest echelon of ancestral spirits.

135

Piece 32

Practice

32087

32088

34246

1JFDF
 Liáo for Hé, Wáng Hài, and Shàng Jiă

5

4

3

2

1

OBI

ᦝᖪᅂ⽸ᘤ⇼

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_33

137

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

138

Transcription Liáo at Hé Wáng Hài Shàng Jiă ten cows mǎo ten láo five moon

Reading

Perform the Liáo-ritual to Hé, Wáng Hài, and Shàng Jiă, burning ten cows, and splitting in half ten penned sheep, in the fifth month.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 01182喌belongs to the diviner Bīn Sān Group喋䇿̵䶊 , Period 1喌. The graph ᦝ喋liáo ⛺喌depicts the burning of a bundle of wood, the dots mostly likely representing flames. Láo probably refers to some ritual similar to burnt offering. 2. For offering up a sacrifice in Shāng rituals, Shāng people apparently made distinction between bovine and penned bovine. The penned bovine, cow or sheep, were probably raised specifically for sacrificial purpose. We do not know how they decided when to use or not to use penned bovine for a particular ceremonial event. The graph ᘤ喋mǎo ࢛ 喌is a verb meaning ‘to split into half’.

139

Piece 33

Practice

14671

14662

1JFDF
 Yòu-Ritual for Táng

3

2

1

OBI

ᖀᖪ ᦝᖪ᩵ ୈᖀ

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_34

141

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

142

Transcription Yòu [at] Táng Liáo at Hé [not] Yòu [at] Táng

Reading

[1]喋Should we喌perform the Yòu-ritual to Táng喋Dà Yĭ, K1喌? [2]喋Should we喌perform the Liáo-ritual to Hé? [3]喋Should we喌not perform the Yòu-ritual to Táng?

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 01273喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊 , Period 1喌. The bone was partially damaged, but the missing graphs can be reconstructed according to the context. The inscriptions are about performing Yòu-ritual to Táng and Liáo-ritual to Hé. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋táng ਼喌is the personal name of the Founding King Dà Yǐ喋๓΅

K1喌of the Shāng Dynasty. King Dà Yǐ喋๓΅喌was also called Chéng喋᜼喌in OBI. In the ancient texts, Dà Yĭ喋๓΅喌was known as Chéng Tāng喋᜼⎛喌
, Tiān Yǐ喋๕΅喌
, or Tiān Yǐ Tāng 喋๕΅⎛喌. The graph ୈ喋wù ࠫ喌is used as a negative adverb in OBI.

143

Piece 34

Practice

01272

01333

1JFDF
 Liáo-Ritual for Náo 3 2 4

5 1

OBI

ᦝᖪ⽸ ᕭ⑎ ᅂᙈ⾄ 㗠ฉば ᙃ㗠 ᖀ

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_35

145

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

146

Transcription Liáo at Náo six cow yĭ hài crack Bīn divine king host Suì no disaster qí receive blessing not qì hurt Yòu father … split喋in half喌
…

Reading

[1] Perform the Liáo-ritual to Náo,喋burn喌six cows. [2] Crack-making on yĭhài喋day 12喌, Bīn divined: The King喋will喌host and perform the Suìritual, would there be no disaster? [3]喋We喌may receive blessing. [4]喋We喌may not suffer disaster. [5] Perform the Yòu-ritual to Father … splitting喋sacrificial animals喌in half …

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 14369喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊 , Period 1喌. The first line of inscriptions is about performing the wood burning喋liáo ⛺喌ritual toward Náo喋฾喌 and the use of six cows. The second is about performing the Suì喋₞喌ritual. Whether the other three lines of inscriptions are related to these two lines is unclear.

147

Piece 35

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋náo ฾喌depicts a standing person喋a monkey-like being?喌with one hand pointing toward his mouth. Wáng Guówéi
identified this graph náo喋฾喌as the Shāng progenitor Dì Kù喋ፉ௟喌
, whose wife Jiǎn Dí喋ㅍ⟰喌
, swallowed the egg of a mythical bird xuán niǎo喋⢰ 刑喌and gave birth to Qì喋๽喌
, the legendary founding father of the Shāng clan. Náo喋฾喌 enjoyed the status of gāozǔ喋倄⺂喌‘high ancestor’. The graph ⑎喋bīn 䇿 喌is the name of a diviner who served in the court of King Wǔ Dīng. This graph and its many variants喋❲ , ో , ὼ , ⥭ , ⦁ , ẋ喌are also used in the context of ceremonial activity, where it is equivalent to modern character bīn喋‫ ؼ‬喌or pín喋ၖ 喌
, meaning ‘to host’ or ‘to host a ritual’. The graph 喋zāi 喌depicts a dagger with a bundle of hair, signifying ‘beheading’. When it was used as a verb, it means ‘to harm/damage’, mostly during military action. When used as a noun, it means zāi喋▩喌‘disaster’, similar to graphs like  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  .

Practice

14372

14368

1JFDF
 High Ancestor Náo

4

3

2

1

OBI

ᓝᖪば ⳪ᓝฉば †⳪ᓝฉば 㔗ᓝ © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_36

149

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

150

Transcription

huì apply at blessing Xié Zŭ Yĭ Zhù huì Zŭ Dīng apply king receive blessing huì high ancestor Náo Zhù apply king receive blessing huì codex apply

Reading

[1] For … apply at … blessing … [2] Perform the Xié-ritual to Zŭ Yĭ, perform the Zhù-ritual. For Zŭ Dīng, and apply喋sacrificial animals喌. The King receives blessing. [3] For the High Ancestor Náo, perform the Zhù-ritual, and apply喋sacrificial animals喌. The King receives blessing. [4]喋Will喌apply this Codex.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 30398喌belongs to the diviner Wúmíng Group喋♍ह㉰ , Period 3 and 4喌. There are four lines of inscriptions, starting from the bottom. The first one is incomplete. The second one deals with rituals dedicated to Zŭ Yĭ喋K12喌and Zŭ Dīng喋K15喌. The third one deals with sacrifice dedicated to High Ancestor Náo. The fourth one, with only three graphs, is about whether cè喋‫ڸ‬喌‘codex’ will be used.

151

Piece 36

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋xié ↶喌is a variant of the graph 喋xié ߒ喌. The top part of the graph depicts a plow. Both graphs are used to refer Xié-ritual, used in the five-ritual cycle. When used as a verb, it means ‘to plow together’. The graph ᓝ喋yòng ⩔喌depicts tǒng喋ᶢ喌‘bucket/barrel/pail’. As a protograph for yǒng 喋⩘喌
, it was used as loangraph for yòng喋⩔喌‘to utilize/to use/to apply’. The graph 喋huì ࣬喌depicts a spinning tie喋fǎng zhuān ㉍ᄴ喌. It was used as a loangraph with a grammatical function similar to emphatic adverbs such as wéi喋ᘋ喌
. We tentatively use the modern character huì喋ᘌ喌to represent this graph. The graph †喋gāo 倄喌depicts tall building and used to mean ‘tall/high’.

Practice

30399

30402

1JFDF
 Liáo-Ritual for Miè

OBI

ᕭᅂᦝ Transcription xīn yŏu crack king Liáo to Miè

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_37

153

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

154

Reading

Crack-making on xīnyŏu喋day 58喌: The King喋will喌perform the Liáo-ritual to Miè.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 14804喌belongs to the diviner Bīn Yī Group喋䇿̬䶊
, Period 1喌. The inscriptions are about the wood burning ritual to be performed to Miè. 2. The graph 喋miè 㨽喌was used in OBI only as the name of an ancestor, but the identity of Miè is still unclear.

Practice

14807

14801

14808

14811

1JFDF
 Yòu-Ritual for Wáng Héng 2

1

OBI

 ᖀᖪᅂ₉ ᕭ ਰᑄ㗠ฉ Transcription divine Yòu to Wáng Héng guĭ chŏu crack Quē divine we not qí receive [blessing]

Reading [1] Crack-making on guĭchŏu喋day 50喌, Quē divined: Perform the Yòu-ritual to Wáng Héng. [2] Crack-making on guĭchŏu喋day 50喌, Quē divined: We may not receive blessing.

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_38

155

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

156

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 14762喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊 , Period 1喌. The two charges on this piece shared one preface ‘guǐchǒu bǔ Quē zhēn’喋⮤̽࢈ⶔ䇊喌
. The first charge is about performing the Yòu喋ҽ喌ritual to Wáng Héng喋⢷ᕾ喌
. The second is about whether the Shāng would receive blessing. 2. The graph ₉喋héng τ ‘half-moon’喌depicts a half-moon between two bars. It is the protograph of the word héng喋ᕾ喌
‘permanent/lasting/constant’. Wáng Guówéi first suggested that the name ᅂ₉ on this piecerefers to Wáng Héng喋⢷ᕾ喌
, the brother of Wáng Hài喋⢷ ϑ喌
, mentioned in ancient texts such as the Chǔcí Tiānwèn喋ȧẆ䓙e๕੻Ȩ 喌
. The name of Wáng Héng喋⢷ᕾ喌was written as ᅂ㜯 in Heji 14760.

Practice

14766

14760

14767

1JFDF
 Liáo-Ritual for Tŭ with Pig

2

1 3

OBI



ᕭઍ໥ ᦝ຦㗇຦᩵຦᜽຦ ᜽

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_39

157

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

158

Transcription jĭ hài crack hunt Shuài liáo Tŭ pig Qì pig Hé pig Yuè [pig] ancestor … Yuè …

Reading

[1] Crack-making on jĭhài喋day 36喌:喋We would喌hunt at the Shuài field. [2]喋Should we喌perform the Liáo-ritual?喋We would offer喌Tŭ喋one喌pig;喋We would offer喌 Qì喋one喌pig;喋We would offer喌Hé喋one喌pig;喋We would offer喌Yuè喋one喌pig. [3] Ancestor … Yuè …

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 34185喌belongs to the diviner Lì Yī Group喋₣ ̬ 䶊
, Period 1 and 2喌. The first line of inscriptions is about hunting at the place called Shuài. The second line is about performing the Liáo-ritual喋burnt offering喌to Tŭ, Qì, Hé, and Yuè, all considered to be High Ancestors. Some scholars suggested that ರ and 㗇 in OBI refer to Xiāng Tǔ喋Ⱔో喌and Qì 喋๽喌
, respectively; both were mentioned in the Shǐjì as legendary pre-dynastic kings. The third line is incomplete. It is unclear whether the hunting at Shuài and the burnt offering occurred on the same day or whether they were unrelated.

159

Piece 39

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ರ喋tŭ ో喌in OBI refers to喋i喌the name of a high ancestor Xiāng Tǔ喋Ⱔో喌
; 喋ii喌the name of a powerful state called Tǔ Fāng喋ో᫥喌
; or喋iii喌the land, like northern land, eastern land. The graph 㗇 is the name for an important ancestor, most likely Qì喋๽喌
, the founding father of the Shāng clan. Shāng people frequently pray to him asking for rain or harvest. The graph ᜽喋yuè ᇟ喌refers to either a pre-dynastic Shāng ancestor or a mountain spirit. Some scholars transcribe the graph as yáng喋喌
. The graph ໥喋shuài ⢳喌depicts a big rope. In OBI it is used as喋i喌an adverb, meaning ‘altogether, completely’; and喋ii喌a proper name for a place called Shuài.

Practice

34183

34186

1JFDF
 Yòu- Ritual for Huáng Yĭn

      2

1

OBI

   ⠴ᛐ ᖀ ᖪ    ᖀᖪ⥵ © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_40

161

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

162

Transcription divine come dīng yŏu Yòu to Huáng Yĭn divine Yòu to Huáng Yĭn two Qiāng

Reading

[1] Divined: On the coming dīngyŏu喋day 34喌,喋should we喌perform the Yòu- ritual to Huáng Yĭn? [2] Divined:喋Should we喌perform the Yòu-ritual to Huáng Yĭn,喋sacrificing喌two Qiāng 喋victims喌?

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 00563喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊
Period 1喌. The two marked lines of the inscriptions are about performing Yòu-ritual to Huáng Yǐn喋台ᅥ喌
; One asks about the date and the other about the sacrifice of two Qiāng victims. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph  or ᰗ喋huáng 台喌was derived from the graph Ṽ喋shǐ ⴎ喌and ❈喋yín ჱ喌. It was used as a loangraph to represent yellow color喋huáng 台喌. Here Huáng was the personal name of a high official at the early time of Shāng Dynasty. The graph ⥵喋qiāng 㒸喌depicts a man with a ram horn top. It refers to the people of Qiāng Fāng喋㒸᫥喌
, an enemy state of the Shāng and a major source of human victims.

163

Piece 40

Practice

06209

06142

06137

1JFDF
 Yòu-Ritual for Yī Yĭn

3

2

1

OBI

ḝᕭばᖪ᜽ ḝᕭばᖪ 㗠ᅂት

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_41

165

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

166

Transcription

rén zĭ crack Yòu to Yuè rén zĭ crack Yòu to Yī Yĭn … qí … king home

Reading

[1] Crack-making on rénzĭ喋Day 49喌, perform the Yòu-ritual to Yuè. [2] Crack-making on Rénzĭ喋Day 49喌, perform the Yòu-ritual to Yī Yĭn. [3]… may … King house.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 34192喌belongs to the diviner Lì Èr Group喋₣θ䶊 , Period 1 and 2喌. The name Yī Yǐn喋жᅥ喌appears in many ancient texts, including the Shǐjì. Clearly a prominent historical figure, he was credited for helping Dà Yǐ喋๓΅

K1喌in founding the Shāng Dynasty by defeat Xià喋฻喌and served as an able minister under Dà Yǐ. The fact that his name was mentioned together with Yuè喋ᇟ喌for Yòu-ritual on this piece indicates that Yī Yǐn enjoyed high status within the Shāng ancestral echelon. 2. The graph ば喋yòu ࣴ喌depicts a right hand. It has four meanings:喋i喌as yòu喋ट喌for ‘right’, 喋ii喌as yǒu喋ᰵ喌for ‘to have/to be’,喋iii喌as yòu喋ѽ喌for ‘to protect/to bless’, and喋iv喌as yòu喋ҽ喌for a kind of ritual or ceremonial activity. Here, ば is used as yòu喋ҽ喌
, referring to a ritual dedicated to high ancestor Yuè and Yī Yǐn.

167

Piece 41

Practice

34197

34202

33273

1JFDF
 Shè Téng Takes Qiāng

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_42

169

170

OBI

㒨ኃ  㒨⮮  㒨 㒨 ᒎ ໍᔁᓝኃ྅ ᓝໍᔁ  ໍᔁኃ  ໍᔁᓝኃ Transcription jĭ wèi [divine] huì jiă [zĭ] Jiǔ [Fá] from Shàng Jiă jĭ wèi divine on yĭ chŏu Jiǔ Fá xīn yŏu divine jiă zĭ Jiǔ Róng bĭ Jiǔ Róng gēng wŭ divine Shè Téng take Qiāng use from Shàng Jiă huì jiă xū on yĭ hài use Shè Téng take Qiāng guĭ yŏu divine Shè Téng take Qiāng from Shàng Jiă yĭ hài … guĭ yŏu divine Shè Téng take Qiāng use from Shàng Jiă on jiă shēn

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Piece 42

171

Reading

[1] On jĭwèi喋day 56喌divined: On this jiăzĭ喋day 1喌 喋we喌should perform the Jiǔ- and Fá-ritual 喋to the ancestors starting喌from Shàng Jiă喋PK1喌. [2] On jĭwèi喋day 56喌, divined: On yĭchŏu喋day 2喌,喋we should喌perform the Jiǔ- and Fáritual. [3] On xīnyŏu喋day 58喌, divined:喋On喌jiăzĭ喋day 1喌,喋we should喌perform the Jiǔ- and Róngritual. [4] Do not perform the Jiǔ- and Róng-ritual. [5] On gēngwŭ喋day 7喌, divined: Shè Téng presents Qiāng victims, for sacrificial use.喋To the ancestors starting喌from Shàng Jiă; this should be on jiăxū喋day 11喌. [6] On yĭhài喋day 12喌, for sacrificial use. Shè Téng presents the Qiāng victims. [7] On guĭyŏu喋day 10喌, divined: Shè Téng presents Qiāng victims喋to sacrifice喌 喋to the ancestors starting喌from Shàng Jiă, on yĭhài喋day 12喌… [8] On guĭyŏu喋day 10喌, divined: Shè Téng presents Qiāng victims, for sacrificial use.喋To the ancestors starting喌from Shàng Jiă on the day of jiăshēn喋day 21喌.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 32023喌belongs to the diviner Lì Èr Group喋₣θ䶊 , Period 1 and 2喌. The inscriptions are about performing sacrificial rituals for the ancestral kings starting from Shàng Jiă, the first pre-dynastic Shāng King. The sacrificial victims were captured from the Qiāng State.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

172

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋róng ᑔ喌refers to a ritual used in the five-ritual cycle. The graph 喋shè ᄰ喌depicts arrow shooting. Here, shè喋ᄰ喌is a military title referring to arrow man or shooter. The graph ໍ喋téng 喌is the personal name of a shooter, probably a high military officer. Some scholars read this graph as chā. The graph ᔁ喋yǐ ⡡ 喌is a simplified variant of the graph ⣓喋yǐ Ѭ 喌. It means ‘to apply/to use’. The graph 喋qiāng 㒸喌is a variant of the graph ⥵喋qiāng 㒸喌. Qiāng was an enemy state of the Shāng. The war prisoners from Qiāng were used by the Shāng for sacrificial purpose. The number of Qiāng victims was not indicated here. The graph 㒨喋jiǔ ᄀ 喌depicts a wine utensil with liquid drops spilling out. It is probably a libation-like ritual. But some scholars suggest that it is a human- or animal-sacrificial ritual. The graph ⮮喋fá м 喌depicts a dagger at the head position of a standing person, signifying beheading. In OBI, this graph means:喋i喌the action of beheading;喋ii喌the person that was beheaded for sacrificial use;喋iii喌a sacrificial ritual called Fá; and喋iv喌‘to invade’.

173

Piece 42

Practice

32022

32099

32025

00300

1JFDF
 Sinking Three Sheep 2

1

OBI

ᘤᕭ⑎ ᜽ ᕭ⑎ ⠉⡷ᖪ㤥⛊⽸⇼ Transcription jĭ măo crack Bīn divine Yŏu Yuè yĭ yŏu crack Bīn divine make people to Hé submerge three sheep cut three cows three moon

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_43

175

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

176

Reading [1] Crack-making on jĭmăo喋day 16喌, Bīn divined: Perform the Yŏu burning sacrifice to Yuè. [2] Crack-making on yĭyŏu喋day 22喌, Bīn divined:喋Should we喌send people to Hé喋the Yellow River Spirit喌, ritually sink three sheep, and ritually cut three cows? In the third month.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 05522喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊
,
Period 1喌. There are two sets of inscriptions: one is about performing the Yŏu burning sacrifice for Yuè; the other is about sending someone to the Temple of Hé to perform a sacrificial ritual that involved submerging three sheep and piercing three cows. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋qǔ ं喌depicts a hand touching a ear. It is the protograph of qǔ喋ं喌‘to get/to obtain’. Here it was used as a loangraph for yǒu喋Ἕ喌
, a ceremonial ritual of wood burning. It is unclear how did this ritual differ from the Liáo-ritual喋⛺喌. The graph ⠉喋shǐ ञ喌depicts a hand holding an ensign, standard or something like a banner. In OBI it is used as喋i喌a noun for shì喋η喌‘event/matter’;喋ii喌a noun for shǐ喋ञ喌‘official’; 喋iii喌a noun for shǐ喋ҫ喌‘delegate’; and喋iv喌a verb for shǐ喋ҫ喌‘to send delegate/to cause/to make’. The graph 喋chén ↵喌depicts a cow immersed in river. It is the protograph of the character chén喋↵喌
. Here, it refers to the ritual performed by sinking, submerging or drowning animals, a ritual that was also recorded in ancient texts like Zhōu Lǐ喋 ȧঔ⻚Ȩ 喌
. The graph ⛊喋kān 喌refers to the means of using the sacrificial animals. Yú Xǐngwú interpreted it as kǎn喋ⴹ喌‘to hack/to chop’. However, Keightley read the graph as cè, meaning ‘to pledge’.

177

Piece 43

Practice

05520

05521

05519

1JFDF
 Bēng at Wŭ Yĭ Temple

2

1

OBI

ᘬᕭ వ⠴㗠㡨ᓝ ហᕭ ⠴㗠㡨 Transcription jiă zĭ crack divine Wŭ Yĭ temple Bēng qí penned-cattle this use bĭng yín crack divine Wŭ Dīng Bēng qí penned-cattle

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_44

179

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

180

Reading [1] Crack-making on jiăzĭ喋day 1喌, divined: Perform the Bēng-ritual喋to喌Wŭ Yĭ喋K26喌 喋at his喌temple,喋offering喌penned cattle, to be so used喋for sacrifice喌. [2] Crack-making on bĭngyín喋day 3喌, divined: Perform the Bēng-ritual喋to喌Wŭ Dīng喋K21喌 喋at his temple喌,喋offering喌penned cattle.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 36076喌belongs to the diviner Huáng Group喋台䶊 , Period 5喌. It has two sets of charges. The first one was divined on the day of jiǎzǐ喋day 1喌and the diviner asked whether the temple-gate sacrifice喋Bēng-ritual喌should be performed at Wǔ Yǐ’s Temple and whether the penned cow should be used. The second one was made on the day of bǐngyín喋day 3喌, and the diviner asked similar questions about performing Bēng-ritual at Wǔ Dīng’s Temple. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 㡨喋láo ➎喌refers to penned cows specifically raised for ceremonial and sacrificial purpose. In OBI there is another term xiǎo láo喋ᄻ➎喌
, but it is unclear what the difference between láo and xiǎo láo is. In the received texts, the term dà láo喋๓➎
, big láo喌refers to a set of cow, sheep, and pig, whereas the term xiǎo láo
refers to a set of sheep and pig. The graph 喋wǔyǐ喌is a composite graph of Wǔ Yǐ喋ₒ΅
, K26喌. The graph వ喋zōng Ⴣ喌depicts an ancestor tablet inside a building, meaning ‘the temple’ for that ancestor whose spirit resided in that tablet. The graph ⠴喋bēng ⹶喌depicts the square court or platform inside the temple that was used for sacrificial and ritual activity. It also refers to a ceremony known as the temple-gate sacrifice described in ancient texts. The graph 喋zī ᕻ喌is used as a demonstrative pronoun, meaning ‘this’.

181

Piece 44

Practice

36079

35828

35823

1JFDF
 Yòu Father Dīng

2

1

OBI

 㜑੉ⵛᏔ ហ    ⠴ ば  ⠴⮮     㡨  ᓝ

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_45

183

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

184

Transcription Divine … this day order Cì Yĭn … bĭng zĭ divine dīng chŏu Yòu Father Dīng kill thirty Qiāng pierce three láo this use

Reading

[1] Divined: … today order Cì Yĭn … [2] On bĭngzĭ喋day 13喌divined: On dīngchŏu喋day 14喌,喋we喌will perform the Yòu-ritual to Father Dīng, by beheading thirty Qiāng喋victims喌with Fá-ritual and piercing three penned cows with Guì-ritual. So喋these喌will be used for sacrifice.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 32054喌belongs to the diviner Lì Èr Group喋₣θ䶊 , Period 1 to 2喌. There are two charges. The first one is incomplete. The graph ⵛ喋lìng А ‘to order/to command’喌 depicts an open mouth on top of a kneeling person. This graph is partially missing on the rubbing. In OBI, almost without exception, the order喋lìng А喌came only from the King. Here the King orders Cì Yǐn喋ᱫᅥ喌to do something. Yǐn is the title of an official. The second charge is about the sacrificial ritual offered to Father Dīng喋Wǔ Dīng, K21喌. Thirty Qiāng victims would be beheaded and three penned cows would be killed for the occasion. Both fá qiāng喋м㒸喌and guì láo喋޸➎喌are parts of the ritual activity Yòu喋ҽ喌
. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ⮮喋fá м喌is a sacrificial ritual. Here, 30 Qiāng victims were beheaded for the Fá-ritual. The graph 喋suì ₞喌depicts a tomahawk or ax-like weapon. Here, suì喋₞喌is used as the verb guì喋޸喌
, meaning ‘to pierce or kill with this type of weapon’.

185

Piece 45

Practice

32053

32050

32075

1JFDF
 Three Rì Rituals

2

1

OBI



⵭㒨᜞੉੉ᑔ੉❲ Transcription guĭ hài … to Jí Jiǔ Father Dīng Yì day Xié day Róng day King then bīn …

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_46

187

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

188

Reading [1] On guĭhài喋day 60喌
… [2] Upon performing the Jí-offering and the Jiǔ-libation to Father Dīng, perform喋the rituals of喌 Yìrì, Xiérì, and Róngrì. The King will then solemnly play host to …

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 32714喌belongs to the diviner Wúmíng Group喋♍ह㉰ , Period 3 to 4喌. Three rituals from the five-ritual cycle were used here, proceeded with Jí-offering and Jiǔlibationl. Father Dīng here refers to King Wén Wǔ Dīng喋᪳ₒ̭

K27喌. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ⵭喋jí ࢟喌depicts a person kneeling in front of a food utensil, signifying ‘to have a meal’. Additional derived meanings include喋i喌‘to be near’,喋ii喌‘prompted by the occasion’, and喋iii喌‘promptly’. Here it can be interpreted as a general ceremony inviting the spirit of Father Dīng to share the food. The graph ᜞喋yì 㓸喌depicts a feather or insect wing. It is used as a loangraph for喋i喌yì jì 喋㓸⺙喌
, the Yì-ritual,喋ii喌yìrì喋㓸ᬑ喌, the next day. The Yì-ritual was the first one to be performed in the five-ritual cycle. The Yì-ritual was also called the Yìrì-ritual. The graph 喋xié ߒ 喌is the variant of the graph ෈喋xié  喌. It is the fourth ritual in the five-ritual cycle. The Xié-ritual was also called the Xiérì-ritual. The graph ᑔ喋róng 㗈喌is the last ceremony to be performed during the five-ritual cycle. The origin of this graph is unclear. Tung Tso-pin suggested that this ritual involved drum-beating. The graph  喋nǎi ᐨ喌is used as an adverb equivalent to ‘hence/accordingly’.

189

Piece 46

Practice

35773

35812

1JFDF
 Jĭ from King Shàng Jiă 5

4

3

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_47

191

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

192

OBI

 ばᒲ⮮ኃግ㜬⠴  㒨↲ᐟ ហば⠴㗠ᓝ  ᅂ  ⵛ Transcription yĭ hài divine Yòu Sháo Fá from Shàng Jiă Jĭ to Father Dīng on yĭ yŏu yĭ hài divine come jiă shēn Jiŭ harvest pray to Xī Liáo bĭng zĭ have dream ding people to Hé qí use wù yín divine this King crop [wù] yín divine not order …

Reading [1] On yĭhài喋day 12喌, divined: Perform the Yòu-, Sháo-, and Fá-ritual, from Shàng Jiă喋PK1喌, with the Jĭ-ritual to Father Dīng. On yĭyŏu喋day 22喌. [2] On yĭhài喋day 12喌, divined: On the coming jiăshēn喋day 21喌, perform the Jiŭ-ritual, pray to Xī for harvest, with the Liáo-burnt offering. [3] On bǐngzǐ喋day 13喌, have dream, Dīng people at Hé, would apply. [4] On wùyín喋day 15喌, divined: would the King plant millet. [5] On wùyín喋day 15喌, divined: Do not order ...

Piece 47

193

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 32212喌belongs to the diviner Lì Èr Group喋₣ θ 䶊
, Period 1 and 2喌. The five charges were arranged from bottom up. The first is about the performance the Yòuritual together with the sacrificial rituals Sháo喋ࠦ喌and Fá喋м喌to ancestral kings, with bloodletting ritual from Shàng Jiǎ喋PK1喌down to Father Dīng喋K21喌. The second one is about performing Jiŭ- ritual and burnt sacrifice to Xī Spirit asking for good harvest. The third one mentioned some dreams and sending people to the River, but the precise meaning is unclear. The fourth one is about millet planting. The fifth one is incomplete. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ᒲ喋sháo ࠦ喌seems to depict a ladle or scoop. It is used as a loangraph for some ceremonial rituals. The three graphs ば ᒲ ⮮ refer to a set of rituals frequently performed together and may serve some particular ceremonial functions. In OBI, we also see these three graphs ばᒲ㆏ form another set of ceremonial rituals. The graph ግ喋jǐ  喌is considered by most scholars as equivalent to the word jǐ喋ೃ喌 ‘bloodletting喋in animals喌
’ mentioned in ancient texts. Chén Jiàn
argued that jǐ喋喌 is used as an adverb, meaning ‘all/every’. We tentatively consider it as a bloodletting ritual. The graph ᓟ喋hé ⻪喌refers to crops. Here hé喋⻪喌is the object of hū喋⹷喌
.Thus hé hū喋⻪ ⹷喌should be read as hū hé喋⹷⻪喌or qiú hé喋Ⅾ⻪喌
, meaning to pray for the crop harvest. The graph ᐟ喋xī ‫ښ‬喌is the name of an ancestor deity. The graph 喋mèng ๎喌depicts someone lying on bed with eye wide open. It is the protograph of the modern character mèng喋๎喌‘dream/to dream’. The graph 喋sù ㇋ ‘millet’喌depicts millet. Here it is used as a verb, meaning ‘to plant millet’.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

194

Practice

33313

32315

32211

33314

1JFDF
 Yòu-Ritual for Sun

5

4

3

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_48

195

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

196

OBI

⠴

 ᖪᑣ⬫㡨 ⠴   㒨 ᒲ ㆏ ᖪ   ⠴ ᕭ  㖈 ੉ ⠴ ᕭ  ㈶ ੉   㒨ᦝᖪᑣ⬫㡨┆ Transcription dīng sì divine gēng shēn Liáo to Qì two small penned-sheep Yi big penned-cow dīng sì divine Jiǔ Sháo Suì to Yī Yǐn dīng sì crack Yòu arise sun dīng sì crack Yòu enter sun jĭ wèi divine gēng shēn Jiŭ Liáo to Qì two small penned-sheep Yi big penned-cow rain

Reading [1] On dīngsì喋day 54喌, divined: On gēngshēn喋day 57喌,喋should we喌perform the Liáo-burnt offering to Qì,喋by sacrificing喌two small penned sheep and perform Yi-ritual with large penned cow. [2] On dīngsì喋day 54喌, divined:喋Should we喌perform Jiǔ-, Sháo-, and Suì-ritual喋dedicated喌 to Yī Yǐn. [3] Crack-making on dīngsì喋day 54喌,喋should we喌perform the Yòu-ritual to the rising sun. [4] Crack-making on dīngsì喋day 54喌,喋should we喌perform the Yòu-ritual to the setting sun. [5] On jĭwèi喋day 56喌, divined: On gēngshēn喋day 57喌,喋should we喌perform the Jiŭ- ritual with the Liáo-burnt offering to Qì, by喋sacrificing喌two small penned sheep and perform Yiritual with large penned cow. It rains.

Piece 48

197

Annotation

1. This piece, which joined Heji 34163 and 34274, belongs to the diviner Lì Èr Group喋₣θ䶊 , Period 1 and 2喌. There are five charges. The first and fifth are about offering sacrificial rituals to Qì喋๽喌
, the founding ancestor of the Shāng clan. The rituals included Liáo喋⛺喌and Yí喋჈喌
. The second charge is about offering of the Jiǔ-, Sháo- and Suì-ritual to Yī Yǐn, the Great Minister of King Dà Yǐ喋๓΅

K1喌. The third and fourth charge are about the performance of the Yòuritual to the ‘rising sun’喋chū rì ‫ܦ‬ᬑ喌and ‘setting sun’喋rù rì ‫ڑ‬ᬑ喌, respectively. The terms chū rì喋‫ܦ‬ᬑ喌and rù rì喋‫ڑ‬ᬑ喌also appear in ancient texts such as Shàngshū喋 ȧᅆᰤȨ 喌
. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋qì ๽喌is a major ancestral deity that the Shāng people pray for harvest or rain. Tung Tso-pin suggested that the graph refers to Qì喋๽喌
, the founder of the Shāng clan. The graph 㖈喋chū ‫ܦ‬喌depicts a foot out of cave or den, signifying ‘coming out’. The graph  is equivalent to ԏ, which can be transcribed as yòu喋ҽ喌. The Yòu-ritual probably involved the presentation of sacrificial animals as a prelude of a ceremony. The graph  or ወ喋yí ჈喌depicts meat put on a chopping board or shelf. The ritual of presenting meat on a chopping board is called Yí喋჈喌
.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

198

Practice

34164

34276

1JFDF
 Exorcise Lady Hǎo Against Bǐ Gēng

4

3   

2

1

OBI

 ୈᖪᒎ  ᖪᒎⶡସຕ  ୈᖪᒎ  ᖪᒎⶡ © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_49

199

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

200

Transcription divine not to Bĭ Gēng divine to Bĭ Gēng exorcise Fù Hăo divine not to Bĭ Gēng divine to Bĭ Gēng exorcise

Reading [1] Divined:喋Should we喌not喋pray喌to Bĭ Gēng喋to exorcise Fù Hăo喌? [2] Divined:喋Should we pray喌to Bĭ Gēng喋in order喌to exorcise Fù Hăo? [3] Divined:喋Should we喌not喋pray喌to Bĭ Gēng喋to exorcise Fù Hăo喌? [4] Divined:喋Should we pray喌to Bĭ Gēng for exorcising喋Fù Hăo喌?

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 02617喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ ڤ‬䇿 䶊 , Period 1喌. There are four charges, two positive and two negative, about performing the Yù-ritual喋yùjì ⻒⺙
‘exorcism’喌for Lady Hǎo喋ྒຩ喌against Bǐ Gēng喋໏Ꮖ喌
, the wife of King Xiǎo Yǐ喋K20喌 and the mother of King Wǔ Dīng喋K21喌. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ୈ喋wù ᱉喌is a negative adverb, equivalent to the word wù喋ࠫ喌‘not’. The graph ⶡ喋yù ⓐ喌refers to the sacrificial ritual Yù喋⻒喌
, meaning ‘performing exorcism’. Here the exorcism was directed to Bǐ Gēng so that her spirit will not cause trouble or harm to Lady Hǎo. The graph ⡶ or ⢂喋bǐ ໏喌refers to a deceased female ancestor. Among the Shāng royal lineage, there are four ancestral queens called Bĭ Gēng喋໏Ꮖ喌
. Since exorcism is usually directed to more closely related ancestor or ancestress, the name Bĭ Gēng here most likely refers to the mother of King Wǔ Dīng喋K21喌, the wife of King Xiǎo Yǐ喋K20喌. Fù Hǎo喋ྒຩ喌‘Lady Hǎo’ is the consort of Wǔ Dīng. Her tomb was discovered and excavated in 1976 at the Yīn Ruins in Anyang, Hénán Province.

201

Piece 49

Practice

02620

02618

1JFDF
 Exorcise Fú Xuán

OBI

⠴ᕭ ᛛ௲ⶡ   ⬫ຎຎ⥵ᘤຎ

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_50

203

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

204

Transcription dīng hài crack Quē divine past yĭ yŏu Fú Xuán Yù … [at Dà Dīng] Dà Jiă Zŭ Yĭ hundred chàng hundred Qiāng mǎo three hundred [láo]

Reading

Crack-making on dīnghài喋day 24喌, Quē divined: This past yĭyŏu喋day 22喌, Fú Xuán performed the Yù-ritual for … against Dà Dīng喋K2喌, Dà Jiă喋K3喌, and Zŭ Yĭ喋K12喌;喋offering喌 one hundred kegs of fragrant wine chàng,喋sacrificing喌one hundred Qiāng victims, and splitting in half three hundred penned sheep.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 00301喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ ڤ‬䇿 䶊

Period 1喌. The inscriptions are about performing the Yù-ritual喋exorcism喌by Fú Xuán喋ヅ᫷喌for someone 喋name graph missing喌against the spirit of three ancestral kings, Dà Dīng喋K2喌, Dà Jiǎ喋K3喌, and Zǔ Yǐ喋K12喌, with offerings of 100 kegs of fragrant wine, 100 Qiāng victims, and 300 penned sheep. This piece is quite unusual because:喋i喌It was a divination for a past event; the cracking date occurred after the event date.喋ii喌The scale of ritual offerings was huge. 喋iii喌Three kings in the main line of descent were enlisted for the evocation. All these would suggest that this Yù-ritual event was unusual and could be of utmost importance. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ᛛ喋xī ᭀ 喌depicts water喋flood喌over sun. It is the protograph of the character xī 喋ᭀ喌‘past/former times’. The graph 喋chàng 偛 喌is the protograph of the character chàng喋偛 喌‘wine made from black millet with vanilla flavor’, used specifically for religious purpose.

205

Piece 50

The graph 喋fú ヅ喌depicts an arrow in a container. In ancient texts, fú喋ヅ喌refers to storage container for arrows. Here, the graph is used as the name of a place or a state. Thus, Fú Xuán 喋ヅ᫷喌indicates the person Xuán喋᫷喌from the Fú喋ヅ喌state or place. The graph ௲喋xuán ㆮ喌is the protograph of the word xuán喋᫷喌‘to spin/revolve’. Here it is used as a personal name. The graph ຎ is the protograph of the character bǎi喋⮪喌‘hundred’.

Practice

00300

00302

1JFDF
 Shí Qiāng

1

2

4

6

3

5

OBI

ហᕭᴅ 㗠  ᖪ⮮    ᒎ⮮  ₺  ᒎ⮮₺ © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_51

207

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

208

Transcription bĭng chén crack Gŭ divine qí dismember Qiāng divine at [gēng] shēn behead Qiāng divine dismember Qiāng divine gēng shēn behead Qiāng divine dismember Qiāng two trial divine gēng shēn behead Qiāng two trial

Reading

[1] Crack-making on bĭngchén喋day 53喌, Gŭ divined:喋Should we喌perhaps dismember Qiāng 喋victims喌? [2] Divined: On gēngshēn喋day 57喌,喋should we喌behead Qiāng喋victims喌? [3] Divined:喋Should we喌dismember Qiāng喋victims喌? [4] Divined:喋On喌gēngshēn喋day 57喌,喋should we喌behead Qiāng喋victims喌? [5] Divined:喋Should we喌dismember Qiāng喋victims喌?喋Cracking results obtained after the喌 second trial. [6] Divined:喋On喌gēngshēn喋day 57喌,喋should we喌behead Qiāng喋victims喌
?喋Cracking results obtained after the喌second trial.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 00466喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊
Period 1喌. There are six charges, from top down, asking whether to use shí method or fá method to deal with the Qiāng victims. The graph ᴅ喋gǔ 喌is the diviner’s name. 2. The graph 喋shí Ἆ ‘to dismember’喌and its variant graph  depict a hand holding a stick to beat snake. It is the method used to sacrifice the victim. The graph ⮮喋fá м ‘to behead’喌 also refers to the method of killing the victim. 3. The term èr gào喋θ ॶ 喌is a crack notation called zhàocí喋‫ ٲ‬䓙 喌
. Its precise meaning and significance remain unclear. We tentatively translate it as ‘second trial’ meaning that the crack results are obtained after the second trial.

209

Piece 51

Practice

00424

00430

1JFDF
 High Ancestor Wáng Hài

4

3

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_52

211

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

212

OBI

ᘤ†ᅂᒲ  ば⮮ᘤ⽸  ば⮮ᘤ⽸ ᘤ 㒨ᑔ⠴ Transcription guĭ măo divine not huì High Ancestor Wáng Hài Sháo huì [Liáo] jiă chén divine come jiă yín Yòu Fá Shàng Jiă Qiāng five cut cow one jiă chén divine Yòu Fá to Shàng Jiă nine Qiāng cut cow yǐ măo divine Jiŭ Róng to Father Dīng huì deer

Reading [1] On guĭmăo喋day 40喌, divined: Do not perform onto High Ancestor Wáng Hài Sháo-ritual, 喋perform喌Liáo-ritual. [2] On jiăchén喋day 41喌, divined: On the coming jiăyín喋day 51喌, perform the Yòu- and Fárituals to Shàng Jiă,喋beheading喌five Qiāng喋victims喌, cutting in half one cow. [3] On jiăchén喋day 41喌, divined: Perform the Yòu- and Fá-rituals to Shàng Jiă,喋beheading喌 nine Qiāng喋victims喌, cutting in half cow. [4] On yǐmăo喋day 52喌, divined: Perform the Jiŭ- and Róng- rituals to Father Dīng, with deer.

Piece 52

213

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 32083喌belongs to the diviner Lì Èr Group喋₣θ䶊 , Period 1 and 2喌. There are five charges, numbered from bottom up. The first one is about choosing rituals dedicated to the High Ancestor Wáng Hài喋⢷ϑ喌
. The second and the third are about the sacrificial rituals dedicated to Shàng Jiǎ, asking about the number of Qiāng victims and oxen to be used. The fourth one is badly scratched, but one still can be certain that it is about the rituals dedicated to Wǔ Dīng with a deer-like animal. The fifth one is incomplete. 2. Wáng Hài喋⢷ϑ喌is one of a few ancestral figures who enjoy the title of Gāo Zǔ喋倄⺂
, High Ancestor喌. The name of Wáng Hài appears in the Shānhǎijīng喋 ȧᆝ⊣㊿Ȩ 喌 喋Classic of Mountains and Seas喌and in the Zhúshū Jìnián喋ȧ〥 ᰤ ㈬ Ꭰ Ȩ喌 喋Bamboo Annals喌. Wáng Guówéi has convincingly shown that Wáng Hài is Zhèn喋ᡛ喌in the Shǐjì喋 ȧञ㽄Ȩ 喌
, who is the father of Shàng Jiǎ, the first pre-dynastic Shāng King. This explains the high status of Wáng Hài in the Shāng ancestral echelon. 3. The terms ‘jiǔ róng’喋ᄀ㗈喌and ‘yòu fá ’喋ҽм喌refer to combined rituals performed together.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

214

Practice

32087

32088

32313

1JFDF
 Jì Cái Xié Rituals 7

6

5

4

3

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_53

215

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

216

OBI

ᕭ ᙈᲐ⻪ᕲᒂ ྅ ᕭ ᙈᲐᕲᒂ ෈ ᕭ ᙈᲐᕲᒂ ෈ ᕭ ᙈᲐᕲᒂ  ᕭ ᙈᲐᕲᒂ ෈ ᕭ ᙈᲐᕲᒂᘬ ෈ ᕭ ᙈᒂ྅෈ Transcription guĭ yŏu king crack divine xún no disaster king prognosticate say capacious auspicious in three moon jiă xū Jì Xiăo Jiă Cái Dà Jiă zhuī king eighth sì guĭ wèi king crack divine xún no disaster king prognosticate say auspicious in three moon jiăshēn Cái Xiăo Jiă Xié Dà Jiă guĭ sì king crack divine xún no disaster king prognosticate say auspicious in three moon jiăwŭ Jì Jiān Jiă Xié Xiăo Jiă guĭ măo king crack divine xún no disaster king prognosticate say auspicious in three moon jiăchén Jì Qiāng Jiă Cái Jiān Jiă

Piece 53

217

guĭ chŏu king crack divine xún no disaster king prognosticate say auspicious in three moon jiă yín Jì Yáng Jiă Cái Qiāng Jiă Xié Jiān Jiă guĭ hài king crack divine xún no disaster king prognosticate say auspicious in four moon jiăzĭ Cái Yáng Jiă Xié Qiāng Jiă [guĭyŏu] king crack divine xún no disaster [king prognosticate say auspicious] in four moon jiă xū Cái Zŭ Jiă Xié Yáng Jiă

Reading [1] Crack-making on guĭyŏu喋day 10喌, the King divined: In the next ten days喋will there be喌 no disasters? The King prognosticated and said: Extremely auspicious. In the third month, on jiăxū喋day 11喌, perform the Jì-ritual to Xiăo Jiă喋K6喌and the Cái-ritual to Dà Jiă喋K3喌. In the eighth ritual-cycle喋year喌of the King’s喋reign喌. [2] Crack-making on guĭwèi喋day 20喌, the King divined: In the next ten days喋will there be喌no disasters? The King prognosticated and said: Auspicious. In the third month, on jiăshēn喋day 21喌, perform the Cái-ritual to Xiăo Jiă喋K6喌and the Xié-ritual to Dà Jiă喋K3喌. [3] Crack-making on guĭsì喋day 30喌, the King divined: In the next ten days喋will there be喌no disasters? The King prognosticated and said: Auspicious. In the third month, on jiăwŭ喋day 31喌, perform the Jì-ritual to Jiān Jiă喋K11喌and the Xié-ritual to Xiăo Jiă喋K6喌. [4] Crack-making on guĭmăo喋day 40喌, the King divined: In the next ten days喋will there be喌 no disasters? The King prognosticated and said: Auspicious. In the third month, on jiăchén喋day 41喌, perform the Jì-ritual to Qiāng Jiă喋K14喌and the Cái-ritual to Jiān Jiă喋K11喌. [5] Crack-making on guĭchŏu喋day 50喌, the King divined: In the next ten days喋will there be喌 no disasters? The King prognosticated and said: Auspicious. In the third month, on jiăyín喋day 51喌, perform the Jì-ritual to Yáng Jiă喋K17喌, the Cái-ritual to Qiāng Jiă喋K14喌, and the Xiéritual to Jiān Jiă喋K11喌. [6] Crack-making on guĭhài喋day 60喌, the King divined: In the next ten days喋will there be喌no disasters? The King prognosticated and said: Auspicious. In the fourth month, on jiăzĭ喋day 1喌, perform the Cái-ritual to Yáng Jiă喋K17喌and the Xié-ritual to Qiāng Jiă喋K14喌. [7] Crack-making on [guĭyŏu喋day 10喌], the King divined: In the next ten days喋will there be喌 no disasters? The King prognosticated and said: Auspicious. In the fourth month, on jiăxū喋day 11喌, perform the Cái-ritual to Zŭ Jiă喋K23喌and the Xié-ritual to Yáng Jiă喋K17喌.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

218

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 41704喌belongs to the diviner Huáng Group喋台㉰ , Period 5喌. There are seven charges listed from bottom up. The format is highly standardized, with the divination performed on the day of guĭ喋⮤喌
, the last one of the ten Heavenly Stems, asking about xún wáng huò 喋ᬘύ⺹喌
, whether everything would be fine for the next ten-day week喋xún ᬘ喌. This was followed by the King’s prognostication, and then three different rituals were offered to kings whose temple names contain the cyclical stem graph jiă喋⩞喌on the day with the stem name of jiă喋⩞喌
. The seven charges on this piece cover a total of 70 days, representing almost one fifth of a five-ritual cycle. 2. During the reign of the last two kings of the Shāng Dynasty, Dì Yǐ喋ፉ΅
, K28喌and Dì Xīn喋ፉ 䓇
, K29喌, the rituals for royal ancestor worship had been developed into a highly standardized format, which entails five rituals offered in sequence to 31 ancestral kings and 20 ancestral queens, starting with Shàng Jiǎ喋PK1喌and ending with King Kāng Dīng喋K25喌. The five rituals, Yì喋 喌
, Jì喋⺙ 喌
, Cái喋 喌
, Xié喋 喌
, and Róng喋ᑔ 喌
, were performed in a strict order so that each ancestral king or queen would receive each ritual at a particular date. The rituals Yì喋 喌
, Xié喋 喌and Róng喋ᑔ 喌were also called Yì Rì喋㓸 ᬑ 喌
, Xié Rì喋ߒ ᬑ 喌
, and Róng Rì喋ῐᬑ喌
. The nature and details of these five rituals are of considerable interest to scholars. A full cycle of dedicating the five rituals to 31 kings and 20 queens took just about one year to complete. Thus the graph 喋sì ⹬喌
, which represents a complete cycle of five rituals, was used during the reign of Dì Yǐ喋ፉ΅喌and Dì Xīn喋ፉ䓇喌to express the regnal year of the king. Thus, the term wéi wáng bā sì喋ᘋ⢷‫⹬ڗ‬喌‘the eighth ritual-cycle’ means ‘the eighth year of the King’ or ‘the eighth regnal year of the King’. 3. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋jì ⺙喌depicts a hand holding meat, signifying the ritual of presenting meat during a ceremony. This word later is now used as a generic term for all worship and sacrificial ceremony. The graph 喋cái  / 喌depicts a food utensil or container. Thus the ritual is likely to be connected to the presentation of food that was put inside the utensil. The graph ෈喋xié 喌depicts three ploughs on top of another sign. The ritual is probably related to the use of a plough. The temple name of the king was all written in composite form. Thus graph  is Xiăo Jiă喋ᄻ ⩞ , K6喌, graph  is Dà Jiă喋๓⩞ , K3喌, graph  is Jiān Jiă喋ᝀ⩞ , K11喌, graph is  is Qiāng Jiă喋㒸 ⩞ , K14喌, graph  is Yáng Jiă喋䮩 ⩞ , K17喌, and graph  is Zŭ Jiă喋⺂ ⩞ , K23喌.

219

Piece 53

The graph 喋zhàn ⩆喌, a variant of graph ⇓喋zhàn ⩆‘to prognosticate’喌, was used in Period 5. The graph 喋huò ⺹ 喌, a variant of the graph ⥌喋huò ⺹ ‘disaster’喌, was used mostly in period 5. The term xún wáng huò喋ᬘύ⺹喌is a Shāng idiom, meaning ‘no disaster in the next ten-day week’. The graph ⻪喋yǐn ᑁ喌is the precursor of the modern word yǐn喋ᑁ喌‘to lead/to extend/to pull the bow’. The term yǐn jí喋ᑁव喌is a common crack notation喋zhào yǔ ‫ٲ‬㿊喌, meaning ‘extended auspicious’.

Practice

41703

1JFDF
 Ceremonial Codex Presentation

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_54

221

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

222

OBI

ᘤ□□ □□Ა□□ ᕭ ᙈᲐᕲᒂ □ᕭ ᙈᲐᕲᒂᘬ □□□ ᙈᲐᕲᒂ ᕭ ᙈᲐᕲᒂ 㗠 ᕭ ᙈᲐᕲᒂ᜞ □□ᕭ□ᙈᲐᕲᒂ Transcription guĭ măo [king crack] divine xún [no disaster] king prognosticate say [auspicious at] six moon jiă chén Róng Yáng Jiă guĭ chŏu king crack divine xún no disaster king prognosticate say auspicious at seven moon [guĭ] hài king crack divine xún no disaster king prognosticate say auspicious in seven moon jiă zĭ Róng Zŭ Jiă guĭ [yŏu king crack] divine xún no disaster king prognosticate say auspicious in seven moon guĭ wèi king crack divine xún no disaster king prognosticate say auspicious in eight moon jiă shēn present codex qí Yòu guĭ sì king crack divine xún no disaster king prognosticate say auspicious in eight moon jiă wŭ Yì Shàng Jiă [guĭ măo] king crack [divine] xún no disaster king prognosticate say auspicious in eight moon

Piece 54

223

Reading [1] On guĭmăo喋day 40喌, the King cracked and divined: In the next ten days喋will there be喌no disasters? The King prognosticated and said: Auspicious. In the sixth month, on jiăchén喋day 41喌, perform the Róng-ritual to Yáng Jiă喋K17喌. [2] On guĭchŏu喋day 50喌, the King cracked and divined: In the next ten days喋will there be喌no disasters? The King prognosticated and said: Auspicious. In the seventh month. [3] On guĭhài喋day 60喌, the King cracked and divined: In the next ten days喋will there be喌no disasters? The King prognosticated and said: Auspicious. In the seventh month, on jiăzĭ喋day 1喌, perform the Róng-ritual to Zŭ Jiă喋K23喌. [4] On guĭyŏu喋day 10喌, the King cracked and divined: In the next ten days喋will there be喌no disasters? The King prognosticated and said: Auspicious. In the seventh month. [5] On guĭwèi喋day 20喌, the King cracked and divined: In the next ten days喋will there be喌no disasters? The King prognosticated and said: Auspicious. In the eighth month, on jiăshēn喋day 21喌, present the codex喋of the offering list喌for the Yòu-ritual. [6] On guĭsì喋day 30喌, the King cracked and divined: In the next ten days喋will there be喌no disasters? The King prognosticated and said: Auspicious. In the eighth month. On jiăwŭ喋day 31喌, perform the Yì-ritual to Shàng Jiă喋PK1喌. [7] On guĭmăo喋day 40喌, the King cracked and divined: In the next ten days喋will there be喌no disasters? The King prognosticated and said: Auspicious. In the eighth month.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 35756喌belongs to the diviner Huáng Group喋台㉰
Period 5喌. There are seven charges, all about the five-ritual cycle喋zhōu jì ঔ⺙喌. The highly standardized format makes it easy to reconstruct the missing parts on this piece. The first charge is about the Róngritual for King Yáng Jiă喋K17喌; the second is a bǔ xún喋࢈ᬘ喌divination about whether it will be without disaster in the next ten-day week; the third is about the Róng-ritual for King Zŭ Jiă喋K23喌; the fourth is again a bǔ xún divination; the fifth is about presenting codex of the ceremony喋gōng diǎn ጑‫ڤ‬喌for Yòu-ritual; the sixth is about the Yì-ritual for Shàng Jiă 喋PK1喌; and the seventh is again a bǔ xún divination.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

224

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋gōng喌depicts jǔ喋ⴕ喌‘a carpenter’s square’. In OBI, it was used as喋i喌noun, a title of official in charge of crafts and engineering;喋ii喌verb, ‘to present codex or sacrificial animals’;喋iii喌verb, ‘to make tribute’. The graph 喋diǎn ‫ڤ‬喌depicts two hands holding a cè喋‫ڸ‬喌‘codex’. The idiom gōng diǎn喋጑‫ڤ‬喌means to present the ceremonial codex, which likely contained the ceremonial agenda, list of the names of ancestral kings and queens, offerings, and probably a list of rituals too. Before the start of each ritual cycle, a particular day喋always on jiă rì ⩞ᬑ喌was devoted to the presentation of the ceremonial codex in the temple. The ritual of gōng diǎn喋጑‫ڤ‬喌was an integral component of five-ritual cycle, which began with Yì, followed by the cluster of Jì, Cái, and Xié, and ended with Róng. The graph ༺ is transcribed as yòu喋Ꭸ喌and was used in the idiom gōng diǎn qí yòu喋጑‫ڤ‬ ‫ڢ‬Ꭸ喌in the context of the Yì喋㓸喌ritual. The precise meaning of ༺喋yòu Ꭸ喌is unclear. However, since in other pieces we see the idiom like ‘gōng diǎn qí yòu qí yì
’喋጑‫ڢڤ‬Ꭸ ‫ڢ‬㓸喌
, it is likely that yòu喋Ꭸ 喌may be associated with the Yì-ritual. Here, we translate the idiom ‘gōng diǎn qí yòu’喋጑‫ڢڤ‬Ꭸ喌as ‘to present the offering list for the yòu喋Ꭸ喌 ritual’.

225

Piece 54

Practice

35757

35700

38305

1JFDF
 Raid My West Border Field 2

4 1

3

OBI 喋obverse side喌

ᕭ ᕭ ᙈ⥌ᅂ⇓Აᖀ⠨㗠ᖀ᫔ 㜬੉⠴ᖀ᫔⻭ห₺Აರණ ⼛ᖪંⳟ㖸ණ⮀୴ਰઍ ᘤᕭ ᙈ⥌ᅂ⇓Აᖀ⠨㗠ᖀ᫔ ੉⠴ᖀ᫔ᨩⶡ⇼ ᅂ⇓Აᖀ⠨㗠ᖀ᫔㜬੉ᖀ © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_55

227

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

228

᫔ㄻㄗ₺Აರණ㖈ጘઍ  2 1

OBI 喋reverse side喌

ᅂ⇓Აᖀ⠨㗠ᖀ᫔㜬੉ᘤᖀ ᫔ゝ႙⛗₺Აರණ୴ઍ ંⳟᅂ⺹ᖪᵈ⤘ḝ ᅂ

Piece 55

229

Transcription 喋obverse side喌 guĭ wèi喋day 20喌crack Quē … guĭ sì喋day 30喌crack Quē divine xún no disaster king prognosticate say have evil qí have come calamity until reach five day dīng yŏu喋day 34喌indeed have come calamity [from] west Zhĭ Guó report say Tŭ fāng attack at our east border喋field喌attack two settlements Gōng fāng also raid our west border field guĭ măo喋day 40喌crack Quē divine xún no disaster king prognosticate say have evil qí have come calamity five day dīng wèi喋day 44喌indeed have come calamity Yĭn Yù … from Qiáng imprison six moon [guĭ hài crack Quē divine xún no disaster] king prognosticate say have evil qí have come calamity until reach seven day jĭ sì喋day 6喌indeed have come calamity from west Cháng Yŏu Jiăo report say Gōng fāng appear raid our Shì Zhì field seven ten people five 喋reverse side喌 king prognosticate say have evil qí have come calamity until reach nine day xīn măo indeed have come calamity from north Yǒu Qī Zhú report say Tŭ fāng raid our field ten people … east border attack two settlement king walk from É to Yán Shí [xīn chŏu] evening xiǎng rén yín king also end evening disaster

Reading 喋obverse side喌 [1] Crack-making on guĭwèi喋day 20喌, Quē… [2] Crack-making on guĭsì喋day 30喌, Quē divined: In the next ten days喋will there be喌no disasters? The King prognosticated and said: There is an evil omen. There may come calamity. On the fifth day, dīngyŏu喋day 34喌, there indeed came calamity from the west. Zhĭ Guó reported: The Tŭfāng have attacked our eastern borderland and damaged two settlements; the Gōngfāng have also raided our western borderland.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

230

[3] Crack-making on guĭmăo喋day 40喌, Quē divined: In the next ten days喋will there be喌no disasters? The King prognosticated and said: There is an evil omen. There may come calamity. 喋On喌the fifth day, dīngwèi喋day 44喌, there indeed came calamity, Yǐn did the Yù-ritual … from Qiáng, imprisoned, the sixth month. [4] Crack-making on guĭhài喋day 60喌, Quē divined: In the next ten days喋will there be喌no disasters? The King prognosticated and said: There is an evil omen. There may be calamity. On the seventh day, jĭsì喋day 6喌, there indeed came calamity from the west. Cháng Yŏu Jiăo reported: The Gōngfāng have come to raid our Shìzhì field,喋taking or killing喌seventy five people. 喋reverse side喌 [1] The King prognosticated and said: There is an evil omen. There may come calamity. On the ninth day, xīnmăo喋day 28喌, there indeed came calamity from the north. Yǒu Qīzhú reported: The Tŭfāng have raided our fields,喋taking or killing喌ten people. [2] … eastern district and have damaged two settlements. The King traveled from É to Yán Shí … between xīnchŏu喋day 38喌and rényín喋day 39喌, the King also suffered disaster喋pains in his bones?喌the whole night.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 06057喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ ڤ‬䇿 䶊
Period 1喌. The front of this piece contains four charges of bǔ xún喋࢈ᬘ喌divination asking about whether it would be auspicious for the next ten-day cycle. The divination was performed on day 20喋guǐwèi喌, day 30喋guǐsì喌, day 40喋guǐmǎo喌and day 60喋guǐhài喌. The first charge is incomplete due to damage. The second one was divined on day 30喋guĭsì喌; after reading the cracks King Wǔ Dīng pronounced that disaster was imminent. Indeed, General Zhǐ Guó reported that Tǔfāng喋Tǔ State喌and Gōngfāng喋Gōng State喌raided and plundered the western borderland. The third one, divined on day 40喋guǐmǎo喌, also foresaw a disaster, and indeed on day 44喋dīngwèi喌something happened. Since many graphs were missing, it is difficult to know precisely what happened. The divination date of the fourth charge was missing, but from the context, it has to be guǐhài喋day 60喌. Cháng Yŏu Jiǎo喋䪣ࣷ㻾喌
, who was stationed in the western border, reported raid from the Gōngfāng and the capture 喋or killing喌of seventy five local people. The reverse side has two charges. Although not

Piece 55

231

indicated, the first charge was made on guǐwèi喋day 20喌based on the date of xīnmăo喋day 28喌mentioned in this charge. This charge is about a raid by the Tǔfāng from the north, reported by Yǒu Qīzhú. The second charge is incomplete and difficult to read; it deals with plundering of frontier settlements and the movement of the King from the place É to the place Yán Shí. In addition, it appeared that this charge also recorded that the King felt pain in his bones during midnight at the junction between xīnchŏu喋day 38喌and rényín 喋day 39喌. 2. The term qí yǒu lái jiān喋‫ڢ‬ᰵҲ㞝喌is a Shāng idiom that was commonly used in bǔ xún divinations about the imminent calamity. 3. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋qì Ί / ⅀喌likely depicts the evaporation of water. When used in the term qì zhì喋⅀㜟喌
, it is equivalent to modern word qì喋䓰喌‘until’. Note that this graph can easily be confused with the graph for sān喋̵喌‘three’. The graph 喋yǔn ‫‘ ٭‬indeed/as expected’喌is used mostly in the verification part of OBI. For example, ‘yǔn yǔ’喋‫٭‬䰔喌means ‘indeed喋as the prognostication predicted喌, it rained’. The graph ⼛喋zhēng 喌depicts two feet against a rectangle that symbolizes city wall. It means ‘to invade/to take military action against’. This graph is almost identical to the graph 喋zhēng ₏喌, except that  was used only when the Shāng invaded others, while ⼛ could be used regardless of who the invader was. The graph 喋bǐ Ἁ喌depicts a rectangle, representing a courtyard, on top of a sign representing a storage pit or silo. The graph is the protograph for the word bǐ喋䙅喌, meaning ‘borders/ areas outside the central town or city’. The graph 喋zāi 喌means ‘to hurt/to destroy/to damage’. When used as a noun, it was equivalent to graphs such as  ,  ,  ,  ,  ,  , all of them indicate ‘calamity/ disaster’. The graph 㖸喋gōng 喌refers to a major enemy state of the Shāng. The three graphs 喋cháng 䪣喌, ㄻ喋yǒu ࣷ喌, ㄗ喋jiǎo 㻾喌are used together as the name of a lord or a military officer guarding the frontier. The graph ⳟ喋yì 䖽喌depicts a person kneeling underneath a rectangle, which represents city wall. As a syssemantograph, it means ‘city/settlement/township’. The graph ୴喋喌or 喋喌depicts a groom or a hand-held groom and a bovine. They are the protographs for qīn喋ӡ喌‘invade/intrude’. The graph 喋zhì 喌is the name of a place Shìzhì field, probably some agricultural farmland.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

232

The graph ᨩ喋yǐn 喌shows a person extending his tongue over a vessel, and is equivalent to the word yǐn喋丞喌‘to drink’. It is used here as a noun, probably a personal name. The graph 喋yù వ喌depicts a handcuff inside a rectangle and means ‘to imprison’. The graph 喋gōng 喌is used as a place name. The graphs ゝ喋yǒu 喌, ႙喋qī喌, and ⛗喋zhú喌form the name of the general or officer Yǒu Qīzhú喋໧喌
. The graph 喋bù ₑ喌depicts two footprints, one after the other. The graph is used as a verb meaning ‘to move to’, probably by riding in a carriage. The graph 喋é 喌is a composite of two graph signs: ወ and ਰ. It is used as a place name. The graph 喋yán喌is a place name. The graph ᵈ喋shí ⴟ喌is a pictograph of stone. It is used as a place name here. The graph 喋dōng ۘ喌is the protograph for zhōng喋㉮喌‘to terminate/to die’ and for dōng喋ۘ喌‘winter’. When used as an adjective or adverb, zhōng
means ‘all/complete’. Here, the term zhōng xī喋㉮แ喌means ‘all night/whole night’. The meaning of the graph  is unclear. We tentatively read it as huò喋⺹喌
. As the graph has a sign of ‘shoulder bone’, it probably has something to do with the bone, like joint pain.

Practice

06063

1JFDF
 King Forms Alliance with Wàng Chéng

2 1

4

3

14

6

13 8

7

12

5

11

10 9

OBI

ᘤᕭ ᅂୈས⮮પฉᖀば ᘤᕭ ᅂୈས⮮પᙃ㗠ฉば  ᅂས © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_56

233

234

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

 ᅂୈས  ᅂ਷⻭ห⮮  ᅂୈ⻭ห⮮Ⳬ ਷ห ୈห ⠴ ᕭ    ᅂ  ⦨ ⮮ ᖪ  ණ ฉ ᖀ ば ⠴ ᕭ    ᅂ ୈ  ⦨  ණ ᙃ 㗠 ฉ ᖀ ば ᅂ਷㖈 ᅂୈ㖈 ᒎᕭ თ⑎ ᒎᕭ ୈთ⑎ Transcription yĭ măo crack Quē divine king not ally Wàng Chéng attack Xià Wēi receive have blessing yĭ măo crack Quē divine king not ally Wàng Chéng attack Xià Wēi not qí receive blessing divine king ally Wàng Chéng divine king not ally Wàng Chéng divine king would Zhĭ Guó ally attack divine king not ally Zhĭ Guó attack Bā would Guó ally not would ally Guó dīng sì crack Quē divine king study multitude attack to Mào Fāng receive have blessing dīng sì crack Quē divine king not study multitude Mào Fāng not qí receive have blessing king would appear pacify king not would appear pacify gēng shēn crack Quē divine be host gēng shēn crack Quē divine not be host

Piece 56

235

Reading [1] Crack-making on yĭmăo喋day 52喌, Quē divined: The King will not ally with Wàng Chéng to attack the Xiàwēi State;喋we will喌receive blessings. [2] Crack-making on yĭmăo喋day 52喌, Quē divined: The King will not ally with Wàng Chéng to attack the Xiàwēi State;喋we will喌perhaps not receive blessings. [3] Divined: The King will ally with Wàng Chéng. [4] Divined: The King will not ally with Wàng Chéng. [5] Divined: The King should ally with Zhĭ Guó to attack. [6] Divined: The King will not ally with Zhĭ Guó to attack the Bā. [7]喋The King喌should ally喋with Zhĭ喌Guó. [8]喋The King喌will not ally with喋Zhĭ喌Guó. [9] Crack-making on dīngsì喋day 54喌, Quē divined:喋If喌the King raises the multitudes to attack the Màofāng,喋we will喌receive blessings. [10] Crack-making on dīngsì喋day 54喌, Quē divined:喋If喌the King does not raise the multitudes 喋to attack喌the Màofāng,喋we will喌perhaps not receive blessings. [11] The King should come out to pacify. [12] The King will not come out to pacify. [13] Crack-making on gēngshēn喋day 57喌, Quē divined:喋We will喌act as host. [14] Crack-making on gēngshēn喋day 57喌, Quē divined:喋We will喌not act as host.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 00032喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊
Period 1喌. There are 14 lines of inscriptions on a complete plastron, covering five sets of divination. The first set喋lines 1 - 4喌is about whether King Wǔ Dīng喋K21喌should seek an alliance with Wàng Chéng喋᱇΄喌to attack Xiàwēi喋̷࢝喌State. The second set喋lines 5 - 8喌is asking about forming an alliance with Zhĭ Guó喋⇆  喌to attack Bā喋ጠ 喌State. The third set喋lines 9 - 10喌asks whether the King should raise or train the multitudes to attack Màofāng喋Mào State喌. The fourth set喋lines 11 - 12喌asks whether the King should come out to tour the frontier. The fifth set喋lines 13 - 14喌concerns whether someone, presumably the King, would host ancestor spirits in the ceremony.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

236

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋bǐ ℀喌depicts two persons lined one after the other. Lín Yún argued convincingly that the graph was used to mean ‘to seal or form an alliance with another state in a military campaign’. This graph is easily confused with the graph 喋cóng Ϻ , ᓊ喌‘to follow’. The graph ས喋wàng ᔓ 喌depicts a person with an eye widely open looking ahead. It is the protograph of the modern word wàng喋᱇喌‘to view/to reconnoiter/to scout’. Here, it is the name of a statelet. The graph Ⱇ喋chéng ΄喌depicts a person standing over a wooden platform. It is the protograph of the modern word chéng喋΄喌
. Here, it is used as the personal name of the chief or general of Wàng Statelet. The graph 喋wēi ࢝ 喌was used in the state name Xiàwēi喋̷ ࢝ 喌
, which was also called Wēifāng喋࢝᫥喌
. The graph Ⳬ喋bā ጠ喌was used as the name of an enemy state. The graph 喋mào ‫ھ‬喌was used as the name of another enemy state. The graph ᙃ喋fú ᑃ喌is used as a negative adverb, meaning ‘unlikely’ or ‘improbably’. The graph ਷喋huì  /  / ᘌ喌depicts a spinning wheel. It was used as loangraph for a modal adverb emphasizing the focal target in the sentence, quite similar to zhuī喋䯥喌or wéi喋ᘋ喌
, except that huì喋喌was always used in the positive statement, whereas zhuī
could be used in both positive and negative statement. The graph 喋喌has been proposed to be equivalent to dé喋ᓣ喌
, shěng喋Ⱝ喌
, zhí喋Ⱐ喌
, or xún喋ᓖ喌
. Lĭ Xiàodìng argued that it should be read as xún喋ᓖ喌
, meaning ‘making an inspection or reconnaissance tour’. The graph  is a variant of graph ჵ which probably depicts the use of bamboo sticks for doing calculations. Both graphs are protograph of the modern word Ⴄ
, interpreted as either xué喋Ⴄ喌‘to learn’ or jiào喋᪅喌‘to teach’. Both xué
and jiào
were used interchangeably in ancient texts. The graph ⦨喋zhòng ⱪ喌depicts two or three people under the sun, equivalent to the word zhòng喋ⱪ喌
. It refers to a group of Shāng people that participate in agriculture and military activity. The graph თ喋zuò ༡ȟ҈喌is equivalent to modern word zuò喋҈喌‘to make’. The graph ⑎ has three possible meanings in OBI:喋i喌the name of a diviner at the time of King Wǔ Dīng;喋ii喌a kind of ceremonial activity always performed by the king;喋iii喌‘guest, to make喋someone喌a guest’. Here the phrase zuò bīn喋҈ 䇿 喌means to make喋someone喌a guest and is thus translated as ‘to serve as host’.

237

Piece 56

Practice

06485

1JFDF
 Earth and Heaven Not Agreeable 1

2

OBI

ᕭ ୈᅂ⼒㖸ණෂᙃⵜᑄ㗠 ᕭ ୈᅂ⼒㖸ණෂᙃⵜᑄ㗠ฉば Transcription guĭ chŏu crack Quē divine not wéi king attack Gōng fāng below above not agreeable not we qí [receive blessing] guĭ chŏu crack Quē divine not wéi king attack Gōng fāng below above not agreeable not we qí receive blessing

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_57

239

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

240

Reading [1] Crack-making on guĭchŏu喋day 50喌, Quē divined:喋If喌it is not such that the King attacks the Gōngfāng,喋this will喌not be agreeable to the below and the above喋earth and heaven喌, and we will perhaps not receive喋their喌blessings. [2] Crack-making on guĭchŏu喋day 50喌, Quē divined:喋If喌it is not such that the King attacks the Gōngfāng,喋this will喌not be agreeable to the below and the above喋earth and heaven喌, and we will perhaps not receive喋their喌blessings.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 06316喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊
, Period 1喌. It contains two identical charges asking whether earth and heaven would approve if the King did not launch a military campaign against the Gōngfāng. 2. The idiom ‘xià shàng fú ruò’喋̷̶ᑃ㠑喌was used frequently in divinations related to military campaign. The graph ⵜ喋ruò 㠑喌depicts a kneeling person with both hands combing his long hair. This graph was the protograph for the modern word ruò喋㠑喌
, meaning ‘smooth/agreeable’. The compound graph ෂ喋xià shàng ̷̶喌refers to ‘earth and heaven’. Keightley interpreted this compound graph as ‘The Lower and Upper’, referring to ancestral kings from Xià Yǐ喋K12喌 to Shàng Jiǎ喋PK1喌.

241

Piece 57

Practice

06201

06320

1JFDF
 Expedition Against Marquis Yán of Yúfāng

2

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_58

1

243

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

244

OBI

 ᙈ ⻪ᕲᑣ ⼒ᶋಙລ Transcription [guǐ wèi bǔ] at ȋ divine xún no disaster … capacious auspicious in three moon jiă shēn Jì Xiăo Jiă … zhuī king come attack Yú fāng marquis Yán

Reading [1] Crack-making on guǐwèi喋day 20喌, at …, divined: In the next ten days喋there will喌be no disasters. … Extremely auspicious. In the third month, on jiăshēn喋day 21喌, perform the Jìritual to Xiăo Jiă喋K6喌. [2] … it was喋when喌the King came attacking Marquis Yán of the Yúfāng.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 36509喌belongs to the diviner Huáng Group喋台㉰
Period 5喌. The inscription includes a bǔxún喋࢈ᬘ喌divination and the use the Jì-ritual for King Xiăo Jiă喋K6喌. Since the ritual was to be performed on jiăshēn喋⩞⩟喌 喋day 21喌, the divination has to be done on guǐwèi喋⮤᱖喌 喋day 20喌. The inscriptions also stated that the King was taking a punitive expedition against Yán, the Marquis of the Yúfāng. This expedition was obviously important, so that it was recorded as a major event during the five-ritual cycle. We also know that this divination was performed while the King was on this expedition.

Piece 58

245

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ᶋ喋yú ⯮喌has two components: the bottom depicts a wide-mouthed food utensil, and the top喋yú κ喌serves as the phonetic element. The graph ລ喋bó ⮩喌depicts the head. The graph refers to the head of a Fāng喋fāng ᫥ ‘state’喌, equivalent to modern word bó喋ћ喌
.There are only very few examples that the personal name of the chief of a state was mentioned in OBI. The graph ລ喋bái ⮩喌is also used in OBI as a loangraph for adjective ‘white’. The graph 喋zhuī 䯥喌depicts a bird, probably with short tail. This graph is used in OBI as a generic word for bird. It is also used as a loangraph for modal adverb, equivalent to modern word wéi, to emphasize the target noun associated with it. The graph 喋yán ►喌depicts two ‘fire’ signs stacked on or above each other, hence transcribed as yán喋►喌
. It is used here as the personal name of the Marquis of Yúfāng喋Yú State喌.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

246

Practice

36426

28317

1JFDF
 Stationed at Qí

1 2

OBI

ᕭ ᅂᙈ ᅂ⼒ಙ

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_59

247

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

248

Transcription guĭ sì crack divine king xún no disaster in two moon at Qí cì zhuī king come attack Rén fāng

Reading [1] Crack-making on guĭsì喋day 30喌, divined:喋Would喌the King in the next ten-day week have no disasters? In the second month. [2] Camped at Qí. It was喋when喌the King came to attack the Rénfāng.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 36493喌belongs to the diviner Huáng Group喋台 ㉰
, Period 5喌. This is a typical bǔxún divination, except that it was performed during a military expedition against the Rénfāng, a major enemy state situated in the southeast. This piece also recorded that the army was stationed at a place Qí. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋qí 呶喌is a place name. There are many OBI pieces similar to this one, mentioning the army stationing at various places during the military campaign against the Rénfāng. The information could allow scholars to reconstruct the route that Dì Xīn喋ፉ䓇
, K29喌took in this campaign. The graph 喋cì ⡷ 喌refers to army stationing during military campaign. According to the Zuǒ Zhuàn喋ȧጒ‫ן‬Ȩ喌
, a stationing longer than three nights was called cì喋⁍喌
. The use of the graph  for huò喋⺹喌and the campaign against the Rénfāng on this piece provided evidence for dating this piece at the time of Dì Xīn喋ፉ䓇喌
, the last king of Shāng.

249

Piece 59

Practice

36488

36821

1JFDF
 The King Came to Attack Rénfāng

4

3

2

1

OBI

 ᕭ ᙈ⇼⼒ ಙ © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_60

251

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

252

ᘤᕭ ᙈ⼒⼒ಙ ⧭⊒㇌஗⼒ ⼒ಙ⧭ Transcription guĭ [wèi crack Huáng divine] king [xún no disaster at ten moon] also [two] zhuī … guĭ sì crack Huáng divine king xún no disaster in ten moon also two zhuī attack Rén fāng at Qián guĭ măo crack Huáng divine king xún no disaster in first moon king come attack Rén fāng at Yōu chief Xĭ district Yŏng [guǐ chǒu crack Huáng divine king xún no disaster in] first moon king come Rén fāng at Yōu

Reading [1] Crack-making on guĭwèi喋day 20喌, Huáng divined:喋Will喌the King in the next ten-day week have no disaster? In the twelfth month,喋the King喌… [2] Crack-making on guĭsì喋day 30喌, Huáng divined:喋Will喌the King in the next ten-day week have no disaster? In the twelfth month,喋the King喌attacked the Rénfāng喋stayed喌at Qián. [3] Crack-making on guĭmăo喋day 40喌, Huáng divined:喋Will喌the King in the next ten-day week have no disaster? In the first month,喋when喌the King came to attack the Rénfāng喋and stayed喌at the the Yǒng district of Duke Xĭ of the Yōu state. [4] Crack-making on guǐchǒu喋day 50喌, Huáng divined:喋Will喌the King in the next ten-day week have no disaster?
In the
first month,喋when喌the King came to attack the Rénfāng喋and stayed喌at Yōu State.

Piece 60

253

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 36484喌belongs to the diviner Huáng Group喋台㉰
, Period 5喌. It is a standard bǔxún喋10-day week divination喌inscription. There are four charges. The first and fourth are incomplete, but the missing graphs can be reconstructed based on the highly stylized format of bǔxún inscriptions. The four bǔxún divinations were performed from the twelfth month to the first month of the next year during a military expedition against Rénfāng. On guǐsì喋day 30喌 the divination was performed at the place called Qián喋⒇喌
. On guǐmǎo喋day 40喌the King and his army moved to a place called Yǒng喋Ⅴ喌
, which was in the territory of Yōu State controlled by Duke Xǐ喋Hóu Xǐ ӛૈ喌. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋huáng 台喌is the name of a diviner. This graph is also used as a loangraph for ‘yellow’. The graph 喋bǐ 喌is equivalent to the word bǐ喋䙅喌‘border/frontier region/remote area’. The graph  is transcribed as  . It is the name of a place. Guō Mòruò suggested it was Qián Yì喋⒇䖽喌of the Chŭ State at the Spring and Autumn Period喋771 to 476 BCE喌. The graph ⧭喋yōu ᩤ喌is the name of a statelet. Here, the term yōu hóu xǐ bǐ yǒng喋ᩤӛૈ 䙅Ⅴ喌indicates a frontier settlement called Yǒng that was under the control of Duke Xǐ of the Yōu Statelet. The graph ⊒喋hóu ௿喌depicts an arrow aiming at the shooting target. It was used as a title designating the leader of a statelet. It later became the formal title of nobility, like duke, marquis, or prince. The graph ㇌喋xǐ ૈ喌depicts a drum on top of a ‘mouth’ sign. Here it is used as a personal name.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

254

Practice

36483

36499

36487

1JFDF
 The King Went to Attack Gōngfāng

7

6

5

4

3

2 1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_61

255

256

OBI

 ⠜ഇᔴ⮮  ୈ↲ᖪ  ᖀᖪ  ↲ᖪ  இᦤᔴ⮮  ᔴ⮮㖸  ᅂ⽢⮮㖸 Transcription divine huì Zĭ Huà call attack divine not pray to Huáng Yĭn divine xún Yòu to Huáng Yĭn divine pray to Huáng Yĭn divine huì Shī Bān call attack divine huì Gōng call attack Gōng divine huì King go attack Gōng

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Piece 61

257

Reading [1] Divined:喋Should we喌call upon Zĭ Huà to attack? [2] Divined:喋Should we喌not pray to Huáng Yĭn? [3] Divined:喋Should we喌make inspect tour and perform the Yòu-ritual at the Temple of Huáng Yĭn? [4] Divined:喋Should we喌pray to Huáng Yĭn? [5] Divined:喋Should we喌call upon Shī Bān to attack? [6] Divined:喋Should we喌call upon Qiáng to attack the Gōngfāng? [7] Divined:喋Should喌the King go to attack the Gōngfāng?

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 06209喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊

Period 1喌. There are seven lines of inscriptions. The first, fifth, sixth and seventh lines are about attacking Gōngfāng喋Gōng State喌. For this purpose, three generals: Zĭ Huà, Shī Bān and Qiáng were called upon. The second, third and fourth sections are about praying to Huáng Yĭn喋台ᅥ喌
, a minister whose status is about the same as Yī Yǐn喋жᅥ喌, the prime minister of King Dà Yǐ喋๓΅喌
, the founder of Shāng Dynasty. The ancestral name mentioned in OBI can refer to the ancestral spirit or the temple where the spirit resides. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ഇ喋huà ⪗喌depicts a hand holding a painting brush and drawing some crossmarks. It is likely the protograph of huà喋⪗喌‘painting’. Here it is used as a personal name. The graph 喋xún ᓖ喌means ‘making an inspection or reconnaissance tour’. The graph இ喋duī Ⓨ喌is used as a loangraph for ‘army’, equivalent to modern character shī 喋ፗ喌
. The graph ᦤ喋bān 㝘喌is the protograph of bān喋㝘喌
. Shī Bān喋ፗ㝘喌is the name of a general. The graph 喋wǎng  喌is equivalent to the word wǎng喋ᒬ喌
. The term wǎng fá喋ᒬм喌 means ‘to go and to initiate an attack’. The graph ᔴ喋hū ͺ喌is equivalent to the modern word hū喋ন喌‘to call upon’.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

258

Practice

06244

06223

1JFDF
 Reconnaissance about Gōngfāng 6

5

4

3

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_62

259

260

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

OBI

 ᜞ୈᖀᖪ  㖸ණᙈ∉  ᜞ᖀᖪ  ⪊ᔴ㠊㖸ණ  ᜞ᖀᖪ  ୈ⪊ Transcription divine tomorrow jiă wŭ not Yòu to ancestor Yĭ divine Gōng fāng no hear divine tomorrow jiă wŭ Yòu to ancestor Yĭ divine raise people five thousand call detect Gōng fāng divine tomorrow jiă wŭ Yòu to ancestor Yĭ divine not raise people five thousand

Reading [1] Divined: Tomorrow, jiăwŭ喋day 31喌,喋should we喌not perform the Yòu-ritual to Zǔ Yĭ 喋K12喌? [2] Divined:喋Will we喌hear nothing of the Gōngfāng? [3] Divined: Tomorrow, jiăwŭ喋day 31喌,喋should we喌perform the Yòu-ritual to Zǔ Yĭ喋K12喌?

Piece 62

261

[4] Divined:喋Should we喌raise five thousand men and call upon them to watch喋the military situation of喌the Gōngfāng? [5] Divined: Tomorrow, jiăwŭ喋day 31喌,喋should we喌perform the Yòu-ritual to Zǔ Yĭ喋K12喌? [6] Divined: Should we not raise five thousand men?

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 06167喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ ڤ‬䇿 䶊 , Period 1喌. From the bottom up, three lines, 1, 3, and 5, all divined on guǐsì喋day 30喌asking about offering the Yòu-ritual to Zǔ Yĭ喋K12喌on the day of jiăwŭ喋day 31喌. Lines 2, 4, and 6 are about having a military reconnaissance activity against the Gōngfāng, a major enemy state. For this purpose, the King raised five thousand soldiers to send to the border. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 㠊喋jiàn 㺷喌depicts a big eye on top of a standing person. Here it means ‘to inspect/ to watch over/to carry out reconnaissance activity’. The graph ᔴ喋hū ͺ喌is the protograph of the word hū喋ন喌
. The term ᔴ㠊喋hū jiàn喌means ‘to call upon someone to watch over’. Note that the graph 㠊 and ᆪ are two different graphs, not variants. The graph ᆪ is interpreted as xiàn喋⢧喌‘to present respectfully/to give’, whereas the graph 㠊喋jiàn 㺷喌 is interpreted as shì喋㻂喌‘to inspect’. The graph ∉喋wén 㖊喌depicts a kneeling man with a big ear near his head. This is the protograph of the modern word wén喋㖊喌
, meaning ‘to hear the news, being informed’. Here, because there was no news about the Gōngfāng with regard to their intention and plan, so the King sent an army of 5000 people to the border to watch over and prepare for any unexpected hostile action from the Gōngfāng. The graph 喋gòng 喌depicts two hands holding a food utensil ፃ . It is read as dēng喋⮧喌 meaning ‘to recruit/to raise’. Another closely related graph ㄷ喋gòng ‫ڝ‬喌means ‘to call 喋troops喌together/to provide喋troops喌
’.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

262

Practice

06175

06543

1JFDF
 Supply Five Thousand Men

OBI

⠴ᛐᕭ 㜑༗ᅂㄷ⡷⢦⼒ರණฉᖀ ⇼ Transcription dīng yŏu crack Quē divine this morning king provide people five thousand attack Tŭ fāng receive have blessing three moon

Reading Crack-making on dīngyŏu喋day 34喌, Quē divined: This morning,喋if喌the King provides 喋supplies喌five thousand men to attack the Tŭfāng,喋will we喌receive blessings?喋In喌the third month.

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_63

263

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

264

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 06409喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿㉰ , Period 1喌. The diviner Què asked whether King Wǔ Dīng would be blessed if he provided five thousand troops that morning to take on the Tǔfāng. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ༗ appears frequently in OBI . It has been variously interpreted as chūn喋᭑喌‘spring’, tiáo喋᲍喌‘twig’, qiū喋⻷喌‘autumn’, zhāo喋᱉喌‘morning’, zăi喋䐵喌‘year’, zhě喋㔱喌 ‘grammatical auxiliary’, xià喋฻喌‘summer’. Chén Jiàn argued that this graph is a protograph for zǎo喋ᬕ喌‘morning, predawn’. The graph ᖀ喋yòu ᖀ喌can be interpreted as喋i喌yǒu喋ᰵ喌‘to have/to be’ or喋ii喌‘abundant’. The graph ば喋yòu喌here was used as the modern word yòu喋ѽ喌‘blessing/protection’ The graph ㄷ喋gòng ᱉喌is equivalent to the word gòng喋‫ڝ‬喌‘to gather’or gōng喋Ӈ喌‘to supply’. Here, the phrase ‘gōng rén wǔ qiān’喋ӇϦπ࡯喌means ‘to supply 5000 troops’. Tǔfāng was an enemy state frequently mentioned in the OBI at the time of the King Wǔ Dīng.

265

Piece 63

Practice

06174

06412

06540

06169

1JFDF
 Zhĭ Guó Presented Codex 1

2

OBI

 ⻭ห൷㔗ᅂୈ৻ᄚ⇼  ⻭ห൷㔗ᅂ⮮ರණ Transcription … Quē divine Zhĭ Guó recount record king not miè ally five moon … divine Zhĭ Guó recount record king ally attack Tŭ fāng

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_64

267

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

268

Reading [1] …Quē divined: Zhĭ Guó presented喋or recounted喌the military codex. Would the King not specifically ally himself with喋Zhĭ Guó喌? in the fifth month. [2] …divined: Zhĭ Guó presented喋or recounted喌the military codex. Would the King ally with him to attack the Tŭfāng?

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 06401喌belongs to diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ ڤ‬䇿 䶊
, Period 1喌. The divination is about the presentation of military codex喋treaty or personnel list喌and the alliance forged between Zhǐ Guó喋⇆㖉喌and King Wǔ Dīng in a war against the Tǔfāng. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ൷喋chēng ❛喌depicts a hand holding something. It is equivalent to the modern word chēng喋⽝喌‘to state/to name/to call’. The graph is used In OBI as a verb meaning喋i喌 ‘to declare’,喋ii喌‘to offer by presenting’ or喋iii喌‘to raise an army’. The graph 㔗喋cè ‫ڸ‬喌depicts a codex made from bamboo strips or turtle shells. It is possible that the ceremonial detail, military treaties, or the royal proclamation were inscribed on this kind of codex for formal presentation. The graph ৻喋miè 喌depicts the protruding eyes of vulture or goat. It was used as a loangraph for emphatic function, meaning ‘specifically, particularly’. It is always used in association with negative adverbs such as wù喋ࠫ喌and bù喋̹喌
. Some scholars read this graph as xiáng喋⺑喌 because of the graph has a sign for yáng喋㒶喌‘goat’.

269

Piece 64

Practice

06402

07399

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

270

06087

1JFDF
 Shock and Awe Against Tǔfāng 2

1

OBI

ᒎᕭ 㜑༗ᅂ⮮ರණ ᒎᕭ 㜑 Transcription gēng shēn crack Què divine this morning king xún attack Tǔ fāng gēng shēn crack [Què] divine this [morning king not] xún [attack Tǔ fāng]

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_65

271

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

272

Reading [1] Crack-making on gēngshēn喋day 57喌, Quē divined: This morning, the King Wŭ Dīng would take a shock-and-awe expedition against the Tŭfāng. [2] Crack-making on gēngshēn喋day 57喌, Quē divined: This morning, the King Wŭ Dīng would not take a shock-and-awe expedition against the Tŭfāng.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 06399喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊 , Period I喌. Although the left side is broken, the missing words can be reconstructed because the divination consisted of both positive and negative charges. The divination is about xúnfá喋ᓖм喌against the Tǔfāng. The term xúnfá refers to a military activity designed to inspire awe or to threaten the enemy. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋xún  喌has been variably interpreted as dé喋ᓣ喌
, shěng喋Ⱝ喌or xún喋ᓖ喌
. Keightley translates it as ‘straighten out and attack’. Yú Xǐngwú has argued convincingly that this graph is the protograph of xún喋ᓖ喌
. This graph was mostly used in the term xúnfá喋ᓖ м喌
, which means that the purpose of the expedition is not to directly attack and plunder, but, rather, to inspire awe in the enemy. The graph ༗ probably refers to the time before dawn. See Annotation in Piece 63.

273

Piece 65

Practice

06392

06396

06354

1JFDF
 The King Established Three Divisions

1

2

3

OBI

ᖪ㖈 ᖪ㖈ᑄ ⠴〭

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_66

275

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

276

Transcription xīn wèi crack Yòu at out sun xīn wèi Yòu at out sun this not use dīng yǒu divine king make three division right center left

Reading [1] Day xīnwèi喋day 8喌performing Yòu-ritual at chūrì. [2] Day xīnwèi喋day 8喌performing Yòu-ritual at chūrì. This would not apply. [3] Day dīngyǒu喋day 34喌divined: the King established three divisions: right, center and left.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 33006喌belongs to the diviner Lì Èr Group喋₣㉰θ䶊 , Period 1 and 2喌. The piece joined two separate fragments thought to be from the same shoulder bone. Recent study indicates that this is not the case. Nonetheless, on this incorrectly joined piece, we can read three charges, two relate to performing the Yòu-ritual for the rising sun喋chūrì ‫ ܦ‬ᬑ 喌. The other one is about establishing three army divisions, called yòu喋ट喌‘right’, zhōng喋͙喌 ‘center’, and zuǒ喋ጒ喌‘left’. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph  or თ喋zuò ͹喌is the protograph of zuò喋҈喌‘to make/to establish’. The phrase ‘wáng zuò sān shī ’ means ‘the king created or established three army divisions’. The size of each division was likely to be small, perhaps one hundred soldiers. However, the Zhōu Lǐ喋 ȧঔ ⻚ȨThe Rites of Zhōu喌states that there are twenty five hundred soldiers in one division.

277

Piece 66

The graph இ喋duī Ⓨ 喌may depict a small hill or small piles of something喋if the graph is turned 90 degrees clockwise喌. This graph referred only to military unit and is equivalent to the modern word shī喋ፗ喌‘division’. The term sān shī喋̵ፗ喌‘three divisions’ resembles the terms like liù shī喋‫ ڙ‬ፗ 喌or bā shī喋‫ ڗ‬ፗ 喌mentioned in the bronze inscriptions of Zhōu Dynasty. The size of shī喋ፗ喌in Shāng and Zhōu, however, could be different. The graph ༎喋zī ‫ڥ‬喌depicts two silk bundles. It is used as an indicative pronoun, meaning ‘this’.

Practice

05813

05825

1JFDF
 Command Royal Clan to Chase Zhàofāng 3

2

1

OBI

ⵛᅂዦ   ₺ ᖪ   ⽸ ᄚ⽸

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_67

279

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

280

Transcription jĭ hài divine order king clan chase Zhào fāng until at … jĭ hài report at father Dīng three cattle five cattle

Reading [1] Crack-making on jĭhài喋day 36喌:喋The King喌ordered the royal clan to chase after the Zhàofāng to …喋certain place喌. [2]喋Crack-making喌on jĭhài喋day 36喌: Perform the Gào-ritual to report to Father Dīng, three cows喋to be sacrificed喌 [3] Five cows喋to be sacrificed喌.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 33017喌belongs to the diviner Lì Èr Group喋₣θ䶊 , Period 1 and 2喌. In the first charge, the King gave order to the wángzú喋⢷᫻喌‘royal clan’ to chase after the Zhàofāng to some place喋graph missing喌. In the second charge, the King performed the Gào-ritual performed to report to his Father Dīng. The number of cows to be used in the Gào-ritual for Father Dīng was the topic for divination. Father Dīng here refers to King Wǔ Dīng喋K21喌, so the reigning king who gave the order here should be either King Zǔ Gēng喋⺂Ꮖ , K22喌or King Zǔ Jiǎ喋⺂⩞ , K23喌.

Piece 67

281

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ⵛ喋lìng А喌depicts a mouth喋giving order喌on top of a kneeling person. The graph means ‘to command/to direct/to order/ to dictate’. In OBI, only the reigning king gave lìng 喋А喌‘order’. The graph ዦ喋zhào घ喌consists of the sign dāo ੑ喋knife喌and the sign kǒu ᮮ喋mouth喌. Here zhào喋घ 喌is the name of a major enemy state, located in west of the Shāng. Many military campaigns against the Zhàofāng were recorded in OBI that lasted from the time of King Wǔ Dīng喋Period 1喌to King Wén Wǔ Dīng喋Period 4喌. The graph ㉙喋zú ௿ , variant 喌depicts an arrow underneath a flag pole. It is equivalent to the modern word zú喋᫻喌‘clan’. The term wáng zú喋⢷᫻喌refers to the royal clan of the Shāng. The graph 喋zhuī ༺喌is a syssemantograph, with a sign for ‘foot’ underneath a sign for ‘army’, signifying ‘to chase after the army’. It is equivalent to the modern word zhuī喋䔩喌‘to chase/to run after’. The graph 喋jí ࣶ喌is the precursor of the word jí喋ࣶ喌‘to reach, to arrive at’. Here, it means that the royal clan would chase after and drive out the Zhàofāng to a certain place.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

282

Practice

34133

34131

34132

1JFDF

Three Clans

OBI

〆 ㉙ᅂ㗠ⵛஎዦණᖪ Transcription jĭ hài Lì divine three clan king qí order chase Zhào fāng until at Gōng

Reading On jĭhài喋day 36喌, Lì divined: The King would order the three clans to chase after the Zhàofāng to Gōng喋place喌.

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_68

283

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

284

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 32815喌belongs to the diviner Lì Èr Group喋₣ θ 䶊 , Period 1 and 2喌. Although the surface was frayed, the inscriptions are still legible. Diviner Lì performed divination about the Three Clans that the King ordered to drive out of the Zhàofāng to a place called Gōng. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ㉙喋zú ᫻喌refers to the clans organized by members from noble families. They would manage royal affairs and participate in military campaign. In OBI, there were wángzú 喋literally the king’s clan or royal clan喌, zǐzú喋clan of Zǐ喌, duō zǐ zú喋clan of many Zǐ喌, sān zú喋clan of three喌and wǔ zú喋clan of five喌. It is unclear whether sān zú
means a collection of three clans or just the name of a particular clan. The graph 喋gōng Ὲ喌is a place name and it appears in OBI only once. We tentatively read it as gōng.

Practice

06438

1JFDF
 No Commotion This Evening

3

2

1

OBI

ᕭ ᒎ 㜑ᙈ © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_69

285

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

286

 ⇼ Transcription jĭ măo crack … gēng chén divine this evening army no commotion [rén] wŭ divine [this] evening army [no] commotion

Reading [1] Crack-making on jǐmǎo喋day 16喌… [2] On gēngchén喋day 17喌, divined: Tonight, the stationed army will not encounter any turmoil or alarm. [3] On rénwŭ喋day 19喌, divined: Tonight, the stationed army will not encounter any turmoil or alarm.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 34720喌belongs to diviner Lì Èr Group喋₣θ䶊 , Period 1 and 2喌. There are three lines: the first line is incomplete. The second and third lines are almost identical except the divination date, one was on gēngchén喋day 17喌
, the other on rénwŭ喋day 19喌. The divination is about whether there would be any agitated disturbance喋commotion喌in the army at night.

287

Piece 69

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋zhèn ម喌consists of two signs, one depicts a foot, the other is a phonetic sign chén喋䓜喌
. This graph is equivalent to the modern word zhèn喋䰳喌
, meaning ‘quake/ shock/commotion’. Here it refers to ‘commotion, agitated disturbance, turmoil or alarm’. The graph 喋shī ፗ 喌refers to the army or unit of army. The precise number of personnel in this unit is not known. Previous scholars have proposed numbers anywhere between one hundred and ten thousand.

Practice

34721

34717

1JFDF
 Display Royal Troop

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_70

289

290

OBI

ᙃ⦲ ᙃ⦲ Ⱡᙃ⦲ ⾎ᙃ⦲ ᙃ⦲ ᄚ㗠⦲ 㗠⦲ Transcription garrisoned Nì not display king multitude garrisoned Zhǐ not display king multitude garrisoned Gǔ not display king multitude garrisoned Zhú not display king multitude garrisoned Hé not display king multitude five clan qí display king multitude garrisoned Nì qí display king multitude

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Piece 70

291

Reading [1] Do not display the King’s multitudes喋troops喌stationed at Nì. [2] Do not display the King’s multitudes喋troops喌stationed at Zhǐ. [3] Do not display the King’s multitudes喋troops喌stationed at Gǔ. [4] Do not display the King’s multitudes喋troops喌stationed at Zhú. [5] Do not display the King’s multitudes喋troops喌stationed at Hé. [6] The Five-Clan would display the King’s multitudes喋troops喌. [7] Would display the King’s multitudes喋troops喌stationed at Nì.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 26879喌belongs to the diviner Wúmíng Group喋♍ह䶊 , Period 3 and 4喌. There are seven lines, all related to the activity of zhì wáng zhòng喋䯵⢷ⱪ喌
, a term not seen in any transmitted ancient texts. The first five lines are about zhì wáng zhòng at five different places. The sixth is about whether wǔ zú ‘the Five-Clan’ would participate in zhì wáng zhòng. The seventh is a complementary divination to the first one. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph  has variants like ㍯ or ⧯ . It is transcribed either as zhì喋䯵 or ⧐喌
. In OBI
, this graph is always used in the context of zhì zhòng喋䯵 ⱪ 喌‘to display the troops/to review troops’. However, some scholars interpreted zhì zhòng
as ‘to lose multitudes’. The graph 喋shù ᜹喌depicts a person standing under gē喋᜴喌, a dagger-like weapon. It is equivalent to the modern word shù喋᜹喌
, ‘to guard/to station/to garrison’. Note the difference between the graph 喋shù ᜹喌and two other graphs fá喋м⮮喌and xū喋᜸྅喌.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

292

The graph ⦲喋zhòng ⱪ喌depicts two or three persons standing in line under the sun. It is the protograph of zhòng喋ⱪ喌
. In OBI, the word zhòng
refers to a group of people involved in farming or military activity. Here the king’s zhòng喋⢷ⱪ喌was garrisoned at five places and the divination was made asking about whether the king’s troop would be displayed. The graph 喋nì ᆜ喌depicts an inverted sign of a person, signifying the person coming from outside. It is equivalent to modern word nì喋䔲喌‘to go against/to welcome’. Here it is used as a noun for a place name. The term wǔ zú喋π᫻喌is likely referring to some military organization. It could also refer to the military groups stationed in those five places.

Practice

26882

26880

1JFDF
 Officer Zhōng Reported Elk

OBI

෷〭  © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_71

293

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

294

Transcription wù chén crack at Huà dog zhōng report elk king qí shoot no disaster catch

Reading Crack-making on wùchén喋day 5喌, Zhōng, the hunting official stationed at Huà, reported of the sighting of elks,喋if喌the King would shoot them, no disaster. Catch.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 27902喌belongs to the diviner Wúmíng Group喋♍ह䶊
Period 3 and 4喌. The name zài huà quǎn zhōng喋౔ᖱ⟘͙喌means a Quǎn official named Zhōng, stationed at Huà hunting field. This official reported to the King the sighting of elks. A divination was performed on whether there would be disaster if the King shoots these elks and whether the King would catch them. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋huà ᖱ喌is the name of a hunting field. The graph ෷喋quǎn ⟘喌is a pictogram for dog. This graph can also be used as a generic word for animals. Thus the term Quǎn rén喋⟘Ϧ喌refers to officials responsible for matters related to royal hunting. Here the graph quǎn喋⟘喌refers to the title of Quǎn rén. Since Quǎn rén
was stationed at Huà喋ᖱ喌
, he was called zài huà quǎn喋౔ᖱ⟘喌
. The graph 〭喋zhōng ͙喌was his personal name. The graph 喋mí 厷喌is generally thought to refer to elks.

295

Piece 71

The graph 喋zāi  喌is composed of two signs: ᩶喋gē ᜴ 喌, a dagger-like sign and phonetic sign ᒂ喋zài ౔ ‘at/locate at’喌. This graph  is equivalent to the modern word zāi喋▩喌 ‘disaster/calamity/damage’.  The graph 喋shè ᄰ 喌depicts an arrow on a bow. It is the protograph of the modern word shè喋ᄰ喌‘to shoot’. In OBI and ancient texts, it was also used as the title for archers. The term ‘sān bǎi shè’喋̵⮪ᄰ喌refers to three hundred archers. The graph 喋qín 喌depicts a hand-held net that can be used to catch animals or birds. It is the protograph of the word qín喋⻩喌 喋qín ᧾喌‘to catch/to capture’.

Practice

27901

27899

1JFDF
 Hunting at Jī

OBI

ᖪ  Transcription [… crack] divine king field-hunt at Jī go come no disaster lasting auspicious this confirm catch fox eighty and six

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_72

297

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

298

Reading … crack-making, divined: The King hunts at Jī, the round trip would be without disaster. Lasting auspicious. This was confirmed, captured eighty six foxes.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 37471喌belongs to the diviner Huáng Group喋台㉰ , Period 5喌. A typical hunting divination record, it contains a preface, albeit incomplete, a charge, a prognostication and a verification. The charge was about the King’s hunting trip at a place called Jī and whether the trip would be without disaster. The prognostication was a lasting auspicious crack sign. The verification began with the idiom zī yù喋‫ڥ‬ᓍ喌
, meaning that this auspicious sign would be fulfilled. Indeed, the King caught eighty six foxes. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋jī 䰊喌is used only as place name in OBI. The graph ೃ喋zāi ▩喌is composed of a water sign喋㎓喌and a sign ᒂ‘zài’喋౔喌
. The water sign ⇜ or  was originally used to signify flood disaster. The sign ᒂ was later introduced as a phonetic element. The graph ⶮ or ⶡ喋yù ⓐ喌has three meanings in OBI:喋i喌Yù-ritual喋yù jì ⻒⺙喌‘exorcism ceremony’;喋ii喌‘to defend’;喋iii喌‘to apply/to be applicable’. Here zī yù喋‫ڥ‬ⓐ喌is equivalent to zī yòng喋‫⩔ڥ‬喌
, meaning the prognostication was applicable. The graph 喋huò 䯧 喌depicts a hand catching a bird. It is equivalent to the modern word huò喋⢞喌‘to catch/to capture’. The graph 喋hú ⟼喌depicts a dog quǎn喋⟘喌with an additional phonetic sign wáng喋ύ喌
, which actually has a phonetic value of ‘wú’. Thus this graph would refer to a dog-like animal with a name sounds like ‘wú’. The only candidate for such an animal is hú喋⟼喌
, the fox. In ancient China, catching fox was considered to be a good omen.

299

Piece 72

Practice

37480

37485

1JFDF
 A Day of Hunting

2

1 3

OBI

   ୫ᖀ Transcription divine next xīn [hài king out …] catch tomorrow wù wǔ burn catch wù wǔ crack Què divine we hunt Guī catch this day hunt indeed catch obtain tiger one deer forty fox hundred sixty four fawn hundred fifty nine fence burn with cooperate three burn …

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_73

301

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

302

Reading [1] Divined, the next xīnhài喋day 48喌, the King came out … catch. [2] The next day wùwǔ喋day 55喌, we burn and catch. [3] Crack-making on wùwǔ,喋day 55喌Què divined: We will hunt at Guī,喋will there be喌any catch? That day we hunted, and indeed caught喋wild animals喌.喋We喌captured one tiger, forty deer, one hundred and sixty four foxes, one hundred and fifty nine fawn.喋We used喌 traps and fire,喋we喌logged fire on three sides of the mountain …

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 10198喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊 , Period 1喌. There are three sections. For the first one, most inscriptions are missing, we only know that a divination was done on gēngxū喋day 47喌, asking about the outing of the King the next day xīnhài喋day 48喌. The second section is about the hunting that took place on wùwǔ喋day 55喌. It mentioned burning and catching, obviously referring to the use of fire to catch animals. The third section contains preface, charge, prognostication喋implicit one喌, and verification. The charge was about whether the King’s hunting trip at Guī would be productive. The verification is provided with a long list of capture that included: tiger 1, deer 40, fox 164, and fawn 159. The hunting method probably involved the use of trap and fire. 2. This piece has been rejoined with other fragments from the same original plastron as shown below. 3. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋shòu 喌has many variants:  ,  , ౴ ,  ,  . It was a composite of two pictograms ෷喋quǎn ⟘ ‘dog’喌and ྻ or ౢ喋dān ૚ ‘shield/a hunting equipment’喌. As a syssemantograph, the graph shòu喋喌differentiated into two related words: shòu喋⠕喌‘to hunt’ and shòu喋⢤喌‘animals’. The graph 喋guī 喌is the name of a hunting field. The graph 喋zhī ͷ喌is used as an indicative or demonstrative pronoun, equivalent to the word zhī喋ͷ喌‘that’. The term zhī rì喋ͷᬑ喌means ‘that day’. The graph 喋hǔ 㭺喌is a pictogram for tiger. The climate in the Anyang area during the Shāng time was subtropical, with tigers, rhinoceros, elephants, roaming around in that area. The graph ୫喋lán ᐡ喌depicts a bird underneath a fence-like structure. We tentatively read this

303

Piece 73

graph as lán喋‰喌‘fence’, as the graph probably signifies some hunting method for catching birds or animals. The graph 喋chì 䊐喌is a composite graph of dà喋๓喌and huǒ喋▗喌
. The graph is probably used as a syssemantograph, meaning ‘big fire’. The graph was also used as a loangraph for chì 喋䊐喌‘red’. The graph 喋fén ♆喌depicts trees on top of a fire sign, equivalent to the modern word fén 喋♆喌‘to burn’. The hunting method of applying fire to drive animals out of dense forests has been mentioned in various ancient texts. The graph 喋yǒu ࣷ喌was used in OBI as喋i喌a personal name;喋ii喌an equivalent to yǒu 喋ҽ喌‘the Yǒu-ritual’;喋iii喌yǒu喋ࣷ喌‘pairs’. The term ࣷ could mean yǒu yòu喋ᰵѽ喌 ‘have blessing’, yǒu yòu喋ᰵ ҽ 喌‘to conduct the Yòu- ritual’, or yǒu yǒu喋ᰵ ࣷ 喌‘have pair’. Here, we roughly interpret the phrase yǒu yǒu sān chì喋̵ࣷ䊐喌as ‘the three sides were put on fire to drive animals out of the only side without fire’.

Bing 284

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

304

Practice

10308

10349

1JFDF
 Safe Hunting Trip

5

4

3

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_74

305

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

306

OBI

 ᖪ  ᖪ ᖪ㠈 Transcription yǐ wèi king [crack divine qí ] … go come no [disaster] rhino two dīng yǒu king crack divine qí proceed at Gōng go come no disaster wù xū king crack divine qí field-hunt Sàng go come no disaster [rén] yín king crack divine qí field-hunt at Wǔ go come no disaster at Mǐn [go] come no disaster

Reading [1] Day yǐwèi喋day 32喌, the King cracked and divined: …, going forth and back喋there will be喌 no disaster.喋we captured喌two rhinoceros. [2] Day dīngyǒu喋day 34喌, the King cracked and divined: Would proceed to arrive at Gōng, going forth and back喋there will be喌no disaster. [3] Day wùxū喋day 35喌, the King cracked and divined: Would do hunting at Sàng, going forth and back喋there will be喌no disaster. [4] Day rényín喋day 39喌, the King cracked and divined: Would do hunting at Wǔ, going forth and back喋there will be喌no disaster. [5] At Mǐn, going forth and back喋there will be喌no disaster.

Piece 74

307

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 37379喌belongs to the diviner Huáng Group喋台㉰ , Period 5喌. The inscriptions are about hunting trips to different places and whether each round trip would be wǎnglái wángzāi喋ᒬҲύ▩喌
. This term is a Shāng idiom, meaning literally ‘go forth and come back, no disasters’. In other words, the idiom was used to inquire whether the round trip would be without disaster or accident. The first line is incomplete, but recorded a capture of two rhinos; the second line is about the arrival at Gōng; the third line is about hunting at Sàng; the fourth line is about field hunting at Wǔ; the fifth is incomplete, but the place name was partially legible on the rubbing. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph  is transcribed as喋喌
. Qiú Xīguī
suggests that this graph should be read as bì 喋⢢喌
, meaning ‘to arrive at a distant place with a purpose to inspect, to quell, or to relieve’. The graph 喋wǎng  喌is the protograph of wǎng喋ᒬ 喌‘to/toward’. The idiom wǎnglái wángzāi喋ᒬҲύ▩喌was commonly used in Shāng OBI for hunting trips and military campaigns. The graph  was interpreted as sì喋‫ځ‬喌‘rhinoceros’ by Táng Lán. However, some scholars argued that the graph referred to wild buffalo. The graphs 喋gōng თ喌, 喋sàng ૖喌, 喋wǔ 喌, 㠈喋mǐn ⯫喌, are all place names.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

308

Practice

37662

37472

37621

1JFDF
 Elephant Captured

OBI

   

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_75

309

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

310

Transcription Capture elephant today evening qí rain [not] qí rain this evening indeed no rain

Reading 喋We喌captured喋an喌elephant. This evening, would it rain? This evening, would it not rain? This evening,喋it did喌indeed not rain.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 10222喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊 , Period 1喌. Although partially damaged, the inscriptions are about hunting, as indicated by the capture of elephant. 2. The graph 喋yǔn ‫٭‬喌is equivalent to the modern word yǔn喋‫٭‬喌‘indeed/ to allow’. It was always used in the verification part of OBI in the format of ‘yǔn + verb’. 3. The bone graph 喋xiàng 䆍 ‘elephant’喌depicts vividly an elephant, with its characteristic long prehensile trunk. The fact that elephants appeared in OBI shows that the climate and landscape of central China at that time was subtropical.

311

Piece 75

Practice

10223

10226

01052

04612

1JFDF
 Six Deer Captured

4

3

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_76

313

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

314

OBI

       Transcription rén chén king crack divine hunt Yòu go come no disaster king prognosticate say auspicious at ten moon this confirm capture deer six yǐ wèi king crack divine hunt Huì go come no disaster king prognosticate say auspicious this confirm capture deer four fawn one wù xū king crack divine hunt Qiāng go come no disaster king prognosticate say auspicious this confirm capture deer four [… king] crack divine [hunt … ] go come [no disaster king] prognosticate say auspicious [this confirm capture] fawn …

Piece 76

315

Reading [1] Day rénchén喋day 29喌, the King cracked and divined: Hunting at the Yòu Field, going forth and back,喋will there be喌no disaster? The King prognosticated and proclaimed: ‘Auspicious!’ In the tenth month, as prognosticated,喋we喌captured six deer. [2] Day yǐwèi喋day 32喌, the King cracked and divined: Hunting at the Huì Field, going forth and back,喋will there be喌no disaster? The King prognosticated and proclaimed: ‘Auspicious!’ As prognosticated,喋we喌captured four deer and one fawn. [3] Day wùxū喋day 35喌, the King cracked and divined: Hunting at the Qiāng Field, going forth and back,喋will there be喌no disaster? The King prognosticated and proclaimed: ‘Auspicious!’ As prognosticated,喋we喌captured four deer. [4] Day …, the King cracked and divined: Hunting at … , going forth and back,喋will there be喌 no disaster? The King prognosticated and proclaimed: ‘Auspicious!’ As prognosticated,喋we喌 captured … deer.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 37408喌belongs to the diviner Huáng Group喋台㉰ , Period 5喌. It represents a set of standard hunting inscriptions, with preface, charge, prognostication, and verification. There are four lines in this piece. The fourth one is incomplete, with dates and place name missing. The first three lines mentioned three hunting trips, each conducted at different hunting field, Yòu喋喌
, Huì喋喌and Qiāng喋㒸喌
, on different dates. This kind of field hunting inscriptions enabled scholars to map out the itinerary of hunting trips and to estimate relative distances from one place to another. 2. Graphs and Idioms The idiom zī yù喋‫ڥ‬ᓍ喌is commonly used by the diviners of Period 5, particularly in the hunting inscriptions. Qiú Xīguī argued that yù喋ᓍ喌should be interpreted as fú喋ႆ喌‘consistent with, confirmed as’. Also see Annotation in Piece 72. The graphs 喋yòu 喌, 喋huì 喌, and 喋qiāng 㒸喌are names of hunting field. The graph 喋lù 厫喌depicts deer, whereas the graph 喋ní 厽喌depicts fawn.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

316

Practice

35263

35266

1JFDF
 Chased Rhinoceros

OBI

ᕭ஺  

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_77

317

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

318

Transcription … crack Huí divine chase rhino catch [king] prognosticate say qí catch jǐ yǒu king chase indeed catch

Reading Crack-making on … , Huí divined:喋If we喌chase the rhinoceros, will喋we喌catch喋them喌? The King prognosticated and proclaimed, 喋We喌would ‘ catch.’ On the day of jǐyǒu喋day 46喌, the King chased喋after rhinoceros喌, indeed喋we喌captured喋rhinoceros喌.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 10398喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊 , Period 1喌. The diviner was Huí. The date of crack-making was missing, but otherwise the piece represents a complete divination inscription about a hunting trip. The charge was about whether King Wǔ Dīng would succeed in chasing and capturing rhinoceros. The prognostication said that he would, and the verification indicated that indeed the King captured rhinos. 2. The graph 喋huí 喌is the name of the diviner. 3. The graph 喋zhú 䔼喌depicts a foot after a pig, signifying ‘to chase’. It is the protograph of the modern word zhú喋䔼喌‘to chase喋animals喌
’.

319

Piece 77

Practice

10403

10350

10399

10404

1JFDF
 Seven Rhinos Captured

2

1

OBI

ṑ ஺஺ Transcription wù yín crack king trap change date indeed xīn sì crack at Jī this day king go chase rhino capture indeed capture seven rhino

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_78

321

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

322

Reading [1] Crack-making on wùyín喋day 15喌the King set up traps for deer, date would change. Indeed, 喋the date would be changed喌. [2] Crack-making on xīnsì喋day 18喌at Jī. Today, the King would chase rhinoceros. Would喋the King喌capture喋them喌? Indeed,喋the King喌captured seven rhinoceroses.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 33374喌belongs to the diviner Lì Cǎo Group喋₣ 㡵 䶊
Period 1 and 2喌
. The first line mentioned the use of xiàn喋喌
, a trap for hunting animals. The second line contains preface, charge, and verification, which stated that the King indeed captured seven rhinos, quite a successful expedition. 2. The graph ṑ or ᰴ喋xiàn 喌depicts a deer or deer-like animal in a cave, indicating that the animal was trapped in xiàn jǐng喋䮣 䭝 喌‘trap’. It was used as a verb, meaning ‘to trap and capture’. 3. The graph 喋jī チ喌is the name of the hunting place.

323

Piece 78

Practice

10361

33373

10363

10362

1JFDF
 Zǐ Yāng Fell

3

2

1

4

OBI

 ⾟ᅂ⇓Აᖀ ⠨ ᖀ        ၃ 㚤       ᖀ   ᖀ ஺ © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_79

325

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

326





Transcription guǐ yǒu crack Què divine xún no disaster king second say begging king prognosticate say Ah with disaster with dream five day dīng chǒu king host Zhòng Dīng arrive ascending at hall stair ten moon guǐ wèi crack Què divine xún no disaster king prognosticate say shackle thus this with disaster six day wù zǐ Zǐ Fā dead one moon guǐ sì crack Què divine xún no disaster king prognosticate say thus this also with disaster as stated jiǎ wǔ king go chase rhino less minister harness cart horse rock hit king cart Zǐ Yāng also fall jǐ mǎo Mèi Zǐ Huáng bring Yí Qiāng ten

Reading [1] Crack-making on guǐyǒu喋day 10喌, Què divined:喋Will there be喌no disaster in the coming ten-day week? The King proclaimed twice: troubles. The King prognosticated: Ah! There would be disaster, there would be dream omen. Five days later, on dīngchǒu喋day 14喌, the King hosted at the temple of Zhòng Dīng,喋and喌arrived ascending the Hall, upstairs, the tenth month. [2] Crack-making on guǐwèi喋day 20喌, Què divined:喋Will there be喌no disaster in the coming ten-day week? The King prognosticated: Up to this stage, there would be disaster. After six days, on wùzǐ喋day 25喌, Zǐ Fā died, the first month. [3] Crack-making on guĭsì喋day 30喌, Què divined:喋Will there be喌no disaster in the coming ten-day week? The King prognosticated: As it would be, there would also be trouble, just like what stated by the cracks. Jiǎwǔ喋day 31喌, the King went chasing rhinos. The Junior Minister handled the horse cart, and the horse hit the rocks, colliding with the King’s chariot, and Zǐ Yāng fell off the chariot. [4] Jĭmăo喋day 16喌, Zǐ Huáng of the Mèi State brought in for a Yí-ritual ten Qiāng victims.

Piece 79

327

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 10405喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ ڤ‬䇿 䶊 , Period 1喌. There are four sections. The first three are standard bǔxún inscriptions喋10-day week divination喌, each one contains King Wǔ Dīng’s prognostication. The first is about whether a calamity and dream omen would occur during the ceremonial event in the Temple of Zhòng Dīng喋K9喌. The second one is about the death of Zǐ Fā. The third one is about the royal hunting trip. While chasing rhinos, an accident occurred that involved the King’s chariot and caused Zĭ Yāng falling off. A similar incident about someone falling off from the horse cart was also recorded in Heji 00584. The fourth section recorded that Zĭ Huáng of the Mèi State brought in ten Qiāng prisoners to be used in the Yí-ritual. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ⾟喋ഥ喌
, means:喋i喌‘harm/trouble/detriment’;喋ii喌‘to beg/to pray’. Here, since the graph was used alone without an object, it is likely that it should be interpreted as ‘harm/ trouble’. The graph 喋㝱喌is interpreted as yú喋Ԋ喌
, an exclamation used as to express shock or surprise, similar to that used in the Shàngshū Yáo Diǎn喋Canon of Emperor Yáoȧᅆᰤe൛‫ڤ‬Ȩ喌
. The graph 喋mèng ๎喌depicts a man lying on a bed with eyes open. It is a variant of the graph  meaning ‘dream or dream omens’. The graph 喋喌is interpreted as bīn喋‫ؼ‬喌
, meaning ‘to host喋ancestral spirits喌
’. The graph 㚤喋qǐ  喌depicts a man with a big foot standing next to fù喋䭈 stairs喌. This composite graph signifies ‘to ascend’. The meaning of the graph ၃ is unclear. We tentatively transcribe it as ਊ and read it as dǐ喋១喌‘to arrive’. The graph 喋喌is interpreted as tīng喋ᐟ喌or tíng喋Ꮩ喌
, meaning ‘hall, court’. The graph ⽞喋zhí ᵺ喌depicts a shackle and a foot sign. Here the term zhì nǎi zī喋ᵺͯ‫ڥ‬喌 means ‘up to this stage’. The graph  , transcribed as  , is equivalent to the modern word fā喋⮨喌
. Here Zǐ Fā is a person’s name. The graph  depicts a person in a square box, meaning ‘death’. The idiom 喋nǎi zī ͯ‫ڥ‬喌means ‘as it is’. The graph 喋chēng խ喌can be interpreted as ‘to state’; the idiom 喋ruò chēng 㠑խ喌 can be translated as ‘as stated’. The graph ⅶ喋chén 㜏喌refers to royal officials. The title xiǎo chén喋ᄻ㜏喌may be translated as ‘junior minister’ or ‘junior servitor’.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

328

The graph  is the protograph of ⩪喋zài 䐵喌, meaning ‘to execute/to manage’. The graph ๪喋jū 䏶喌is a pictogram for ‘chariot/cart’. It can be noted that the two graphs喋 vs. 喌for jū喋䏶喌used on this piece differ slightly in form from each other. One shows that the cart axle was missing from the wheel after the incidence. Apparently the Shāng engraver wanted to make a note that the royal chariot was damaged. The graph  consists of two signs, ᤤ喋shí ⴟ喌and ਰ喋wǒ ᜽喌, referring to big rocks, with ਰ喋wǒ ᜽喌serving as phonetic component. The graph 喋mái 㫢喌means ‘to bury’ or ‘to push something close to’. Here it probably refers that the cart wheels were crashed or sunk into the mud. The graph 喋mǎ 付喌is a pictogram for horse. The graph 喋yāng ๚喌is the personal name of Zǐ Yāng喋ၼ๚喌
. The graph  , depicting a man falling from high ground, is the protograph of the modern word zhuì喋෈喌
. The graph 喋喌is equivalent to the modern word mèi喋࿆喌
. Here, it was used as the name of a state or clan. The graph 喋 喌is the personal name of Zǐ Huáng喋ၼ 喌
.

Practice

00584

10406

1JFDF
 King Went Hunting

6

5

4

3

2

1

OBI

   © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_80

329

330

   Transcription divine Dì divine king go hunting divine king not go hunting pass Duì divine king not go hunting pass Duì king go hunting divine Dì

Reading [1] Divined:喋We would perform喌Dì-ritual. [2] Divined: The King would go hunting. [3] Divined: The King would not go hunting, would pass by Duì. [4] Divined: The King would not go hunting, would pass by Duì. [5] The King would go hunting. [6] Divined:喋We would perform喌Dì-ritual.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

331

Piece 80

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 10939喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊 , Period 1喌. The charges are all brief, focusing on whether or not the King should take a hunting trip to a place called Duì喋ῡ喌
. It is unclear whether the Dì-ritual mentioned on this piece was related to the hunting trip. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋dì ⻄喌refers to a sacrificial ritual. The graph 喋cóng Ϻ喌depicts two men lined up. It is the protograph of the character cóng 喋Ϻ喌and cóng喋ᓊ喌‘to follow’. When cóng喋Ϻ喌is followed by a place name, it means to arrive at or to pass by that place. The graph 喋duì ῡ喌is a place name.

Practice

10607

10969

10970

1JFDF
 Eight Peacock Captured 2

1

3

OBI

⢥ല ᧜ᖪ ᧜ᖪ᧜ ᑄ Transcription gēng chén [crack] ... divine next guǐ wèi fertilize west Dān field receive abundant harvest ten three moon wù zǐ crack Bīn divine king chase peacock at Zhǐ, no disaster that day king go chase peacock at Zhǐ, indeed no disaster catch peacock eight divine not … calamity …

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_81

333

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

334

Reading [1] Crack-making on gēngchén喋day 17喌, ... divined: The coming guǐwèi喋day 20喌,喋will we喌 proceed the ‘xǐtián’ activity at the West Dān Field?喋Will we喌receive abundant harvest? The thirteenth month. [2] Crack-making on wùzĭ喋day 25喌, Bīn divined: The King would chase peacocks at Zhǐ,喋will there be喌no disaster? That day, the King went to chase peacocks at Zhǐ,喋and喌indeed 喋encountered喌no disaster,喋the King喌caught eight peacocks. [3] Divined: no … calamity …?

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 09572喌belongs to the diviner Bīn Group喋䇿㉰
, Period 1喌. The first line is about whether ‘xǐtián’喋ᓅ⩜喌
, an act of changing crops for planting, should be performed at the field of Xī Dān喋west Dān喌within the next four days, from gēngchén喋day 17喌to guǐwèi喋day 20喌. The second line is about hunting some birds, and it was noted that the King caught eight peacocks. The third line is incomplete. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ⢥喋xǐ/shǐ 喌depicts four dots underneath the buttocks of a man. It is easily thought that the graph may signify ‘defecating’, and thus indirectly means ‘to fertilize’. However, Qiú Xīguī argued that this graph was used as a loangraph, referring to an agricultural activity xǐtián喋ᓅ⩜喌‘to change crops of a particular field’. Zhāng Zhènglǎng suggested that the graph should be transcribed as ‘ 㗂 ’ equivalent to zhào喋䋅喌
, meaning ‘to weed/to cut grass/ to prepare for planting’. Either explanation fits the context here.

335

Piece 81

The graph 喋dān ૚喌may depict shield, weapon, hunting tool, or totem pole. The names such as Xī Dān喋west Dān喌, Nán Dān喋south Dān喌, Dōng Dān喋east Dān喌in OBI probably refer to some structure or platform for either ceremonial or agricultural functions. The graph ᧜ depicts a bird with an additional sign like a wheel or fan. Some scholars considered it as a kind of hawk, called lái喋⬵喌
. Zhāng Guìguāng argued that it is a pictograph for peacock. Since the word ‘chase’ is used as the hunting method, and the peacock is one of a few birds that can be chased, we therefore tentatively interpret this graph as ‘peacock’. The graph 喋niè ஍喌is equivalent to the word niè喋Ⴉ喌‘evil/calamity’.

Practice

09584

10503

1JFDF
 Encountered Heavy Rain

OBI

ᕭ ໰ᑄ 

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_82

337

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

338

Transcription wù chén crack at Dūn divine king hunt Xī not encounter big rain this confirm at nine moon

Reading Crack-making on wùchén喋day 5喌, divined at Dūn: The King will go hunting at Xī,喋the entourage喌will not encounter heavy rain. This prediction was confirmed, in the ninth month.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 37646喌belongs to the diviner Huáng Group喋台 ㉰
Period 5喌. The King Dì Xīn喋K29喌and his entourage were at Dūn and asked whether they would encounter heavy rain in a hunting trip to the place called Xī. The idiom ‘zīyù’喋‫ڥ‬ᓍ喌was used here to replace the regular prognostication/verification format. The fact that they did not encounter heavy rain confirmed what the cracks had revealed. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ໰喋xī 喌is a place name. The graph ඓ喋gòu ‫ڿ‬喌depicts two items喋fish?喌coming together. It was used in OBI as a verb ‘to encounter’.

339

Piece 82

Practice

36396

37669

1JFDF
 Big Tiger Captured

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_83

341

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

342

OBI

 ⮑ Transcription xīn yǒu king hunt at Jī Lù catch big stripe tiger at ten moon this King three ritual-cycle Xié day

Reading On the day of xīnyǒu喋day 58喌, the King hunted at Jī Lù,喋and he喌caught a big striped tiger. It was the King’s third five-ritual cycle喋regnal year喌, on the day of the Xié-ritual, in the tenth month.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 37848喌belongs to the diviner Huáng Group喋台㉰
Period 5喌. It is a very famous piece because the inscription was made on the bone of the very tiger that the King caught. The King Dì Xīn喋K29喌went to Jī Lù喋a hunting field喌and caught this big tiger. The term wéi wáng sān sì喋ᘋ⢷̵⹬喌‘in the third year of the King’s reign’ allows us to date this piece to1073 BCE.

Piece 83

343

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋jī 䰊喌depicts a bird and a phonetic sign ‘xī ’喋ຆ喌
. It is equivalent to the modern word jī喋䰊喌‘chicken’. Here it was used as a place name. The graph 喋yú κ喌is a elaborated form of the word yú喋κ喌‘at/located at’. The graph 喋lù ᒁ喌probably depicts the bucket tool used to retrieve well water. It was used as a loangraph for lù喋县喌‘foot of a mountain’. Many of the Shāng hunting fields were called lù
. The graph 喋sù ፲喌is clearly an adjective describing some feature of the captured tiger. Unfortunately it has no semantic or phonetic connection to any modern word. Jīn Xiánghéng suggested that sù喋፲喌refers to the thin stripes of the tiger. The graph 喋hǔ 㭺 ‘tiger’喌is a pictogram for tiger. The graph ⮑喋sì ⹬喌is transcribed as sì喋⹬喌‘to offer sacrifice, sacrificial ceremony’. Since the five rituals in the five-ritual cycle took about 360 to 370 days to complete, the number of five-ritual cycles conducted by a particular king was thus used to represent the regnal years of that king. The graph 喋xié ߒ喌refers to a ritual in the five-ritual cycle. The term xié rì喋ߒᬑ喌indicates the particular day that the Xié-ritual was performed.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

344

Practice

33363

10216

10199

1JFDF
 Inspecting Cattle at Dūn 1

2

3 4

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_84

345

346

OBI

ᖪ  ዂ ༽ඥ  Transcription 喋obverse side喌 bǐng yín crack Què divine king go inspect cattlle at Dūn divine king not go inspect cattle three moon divine … fán many zhǐ bù wǔ zhū 喋socket side喌 rén xū Zǐ Yāng present two pairs Yuè

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Piece 84

347

Reading 喋obverse side喌 [1] Crack-making on bǐngyín喋day 3喌, Què divined: The King would go to Dūn to inspect the cattle. [2] Divined: The King would not go inspecting the cattle. The third month. [3] Divined: … fán many zhǐ. [4]喋Do喌not applying vermilion. 喋socket
side喌 [1] Day rénxū喋day 59喌, Zĭ Yāng ritually prepared two pairs of scapulae bones.喋Received by喌 Yuè.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 11171喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ ڤ‬䇿 䶊 ,
Period 1喌. The first and second lines are positive and negative divinations about the expedition taken by the King for inspecting the herd at a place called Dūn. The third line is incomplete. There is a crack notation喋line 4喌, which probably refers to the application of vermillion pigment to the inscription. At the socket of the bone, the preparation and presentation of two pairs of scapulae by Zĭ Yāng was recorded. Zĭ Yāng was likely the same person mentioned in Piece 79. The official who received these two pairs of scapulae put down his name as Yuè. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋xǐng Ⱝ喌composes two signs: an ‘eye’ sign喋mù Ⱊ喌and a ‘bud’ sign喋shēng ⩋ ‘fresh/to grow’喌. It is a phonetic-semantic graph, with the ‘bud’ sign as a phonetic element. The graph is the protograph of xǐng喋Ⱝ喌‘to inspect/to visit/to examine’. The term xǐng niú喋Ⱝ➇喌means ‘to inspect the pasture and herds of cattle there’. Taking care of the cattle management system was a responsibility of the Shāng King.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

348

The graph 喋fán ‫܍‬喌could be a place name or a ritual’s name. As line 3 is incomplete, the meaning of fán here is unclear. The graph 喋tún ᆛ喌depicts a scapula. It is the protograph of tún喋ᆛ喌
, referring to a pair of prepared scapulae. The term bù wǔ zhū喋̹  吰 喌is a crack notation喋zhào cí ‫ ٲ‬䓙 喌. There is no consensus about its precise meaning. We suggested that this term may be related to the application of vermillion pigment on the surface of bones or plastrons to brighten up certain inscriptions.

Practice

11181

11177

1JFDF
 Continuing Fishing

2

1

3

5

4

6

OBI

㎱ච ㎱ච     © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_85

349

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

350

Transcription xīn mǎo crack Què divine king go continue fishing permit xīn mǎo crack Què divine king not continue fishing not permit xīn chǒu crack Bīn divine next rén yín qí rain divine next rén chén not qí rain rén chén crack Què divine Yòu ancestor Xīn two cattle Yòu ancestor Xīn two cattle

Reading [1] Crack-making on xīnmǎo喋day 28喌, Què divined: The King goes fishing, will it be fine? [2] Crack-making on xīnmǎo喋day 28喌, Què divined: The King will not go fishing,喋will it be喌 not fine? [3] Crack-making on xīnchǒu喋day 38喌, Bīn divined: The coming rényín喋day 39喌, will it rain? [4] Divined: The coming rénchén喋day 29喌, will it not rain? [5] Crack-making on rénchén喋day 29喌, Què divined:喋We would喌offer Yòu-ritual to Zǔ Xīn 喋K13喌with two cattle. [6]喋Offer喌Yòu-ritual to Zǔ Xīn喋K13喌with two cattle.

351

Piece 85

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 12921喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊 , Period 1喌. The piece is on an almost intact plastron, containing three pairs of charges. Lines 1 and 2 are about whether King Wǔ Dīng喋K21喌should continue the fishing expedition. Lines 3 and 4 are about whether it would be raining the next day. Lines 5 and 6 are about the ritual offering of cattle to ancestor Zǔ Xīn喋K13喌. The date rénchén喋day 29喌in line 4 is clearly a mistake, as the second day to xīnchǒu喋day 38喌has to be rényín喋day 39喌. 2. The graph ㎱喋yán Ⅿ喌is the protograph of the modern word yán喋ᐢ喌‘to continue/to extend/ to delay’. OBI term yán yǔ喋ᐢ䰔喌means ‘to continue raining’, and yán fēng喋ᐢ䷔喌means ‘to continue blowing the wind’. Here the term yán yú喋ᐢ傆喌means ‘to continue the fishing expedition’. 3. The graph ච喋yú 傆喌is the pictogram of fish. It is also used as a verb meaning ‘to fish’, equivalent to the modern word yú喋␭喌.

Practice

04570

10476

10480

1JFDF
 Thirty Thousands Fish Captured

OBI

  ᑄ Transcription guǐ mǎo crack Duì capture fish qí three ten-thousand not …

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_86

353

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

354

Reading Crack-making on guǐmǎo喋day 40喌, Duì captured fish, it was 30,000, not …

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 10471喌belongs to the diviner Duī Bīn Jiān Group喋Ⓨ䇿䪿䶊
Period 1喌. It is quite amazing that someone would count the captured fish up to a number of thirty thousand. 2. The graph 喋duì

喌is the personal name, may be the official in charge of fishing.

3. The graph  depicts a scorpion and was used as loangraph for wàn喋㥘喌‘ten thousand’.

Practice

10475

10472

1JFDF
 Chase Deer of Shuǐ

4

3

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_87

355

356

OBI

 ዷ   Transcription huì Wǔ hunting no disaster huì Shuǐ hunting no disaster qí chase Shuǐ elk from west east north no disaster from east west north chase elk no disaster

Reading [1] Would go to Wǔ Field for hunting, no troubles喋everything be fine喌? [2] Would go to Shuǐ Field for hunting, no troubles? [3] Would chase Shuǐ elks from west, east and north, no troubles? [4] Would chase Shuǐ elks from east, west and north, no troubles?

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

357

Piece 87

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 28789喌belongs to the diviner Wúmíng Group喋♍ह㉰
Period 3 and 4喌. The first two lines are about whether hunting at the places called Wǔ and Shuǐ would be without disaster. The third and fourth lines are about the strategy for chasing elks at Shuǐ. The hunters, presumably the King’s cortege, would chase elks from the east, west, and north side of the field, so that they could capture elks at the south side of the hunting field. 2. The graphs 喋wǔ 喌and ዷ喋shuǐ 喌are names of hunting fields. 3. The graph 喋shuǐ ጲ喌is also a place name. The graph is probably used interchangeably with shuǐ喋喌
, both refer to the same place. Elk at the Shuǐ place was called Shuǐ elk喋ጲ厷喌.

Practice

28795

28791

28790

1JFDF
 East Land Received Harvest

5

4

3

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_88

359

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

360

OBI



ᕭ ⨿ฉᲐᕲ ંදฉല දฉലᕲ දฉലᕲ දฉലᕲ Transcription jǐ sì king crack divine [this] year Shāng receive [harvest] king prognosticate say auspicious east tǔ receive harvest south tǔ receive harvest auspicious west tǔ receive harvest auspicious north tǔ receive harvest auspicious

Reading [1] Crack-making on jĭsì喋day 6喌, the King喋Dì Yĭ ፉ ΅
, K28喌divined: This year would the Shāng receive喋abundant喌harvest. The King prognosticated and proclaimed: Auspicious. [2] The Eastern Land喋would喌receive喋abundant喌harvest. [3] The Southern Land喋would喌receive喋abundant喌harvest. auspicious. [4] The Western Land喋would喌receive喋abundant喌harvest. auspicious. [5] The Northern Land喋would喌receive喋abundant喌harvest. auspicious.

Piece 88

361

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 36975喌belongs to the diviner Huáng Group喋台䶊 , Period 5喌, during the reign of King Dì Yĭ喋ፉ΅
, K28喌. The divination was about the harvest within the Shāng. The King did the divination, read the cracks, made the prognostication, and proclaimed that the four lands of Shāng were to recieve bounty harvest. Here, east, west, south, and north tǔ refer to the arable lands surrounding the Shāng capital in all four directions. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ರ or ද喋tǔ ో喌is protograph of the modern word tǔ喋ో喌‘land’. In OBI, the graph was used as喋i喌the name of a powerful enemy state Tǔfāng;喋ii喌the name of an ancestor or a supranatural spirit Tǔ;喋iii喌the land, particularly the arable land. The graph 喋suì ₞喌depicts a dagger-like weapon. Here it was used as loangraph for suì喋₞喌 ‘year’. The graph ⨿喋shāng ੲ喌is a variant of the graph  , equivalent to the modern word shāng喋ੲ喌 ‘Shāng’.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

362

Practice

09749

09747

24429

33267+33246+YS12.5

1JFDF
 We Received Millet Harvest

2

1

3 4

OBI

 ല ല  

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_89

363

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

364

Transcription …[crack] Bīn divine recruit men attack Xià Wēi receive with blessing … [moon] … [crack Què] divine we receive harvest [Què divine] we receive millet harvest two moon … pray [harvest] at Hé Liáo three láo drown [three cattle] cut three cattle Yí penned-sheep

Reading [1] Crack-making on …, Bīn divined:喋We would喌recruit people to attack the Xià Wēi State and would receive blessing. In the … month [2] Crack-making on …, Quèdivined: Would we receive harvest? [3] Què divined: Would we receive millet harvest? In the second month. [4] …pray for the harvest to Hé, performing Liáo-ritual喋burnt offering喌with three penned cattle, Chén-ritual喋submerged and drown喌with three cattle, Mǎo-ritual喋split half喌with three cattle, and Yí-ritual喋meat cuts arranged on chopping board喌with penned cattle.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 10094喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ ڤ‬䇿 䶊
Period 1喌. The first line is a divination regarding a military campaign against the Xià Wēi State. The second and third lines are about asking for crop harvest. The fourth line is about praying to Hé喋⇟喌 for good harvest; four sacrificial rituals were to be performed: Liào-, Chén-, Mǎ-, and Yíritual.

365

Piece 89

2. The graph喋yí 喌depicts an arrangement of meat cuts on a chopping board. It is the protograph of the word yí喋჈喌
. In OBI, this graph refers to a sacrificial ritual called Yí喋჈喌
. 3. The graph ᱝ or ᜧ喋chén ↵喌depicts a cow or sheep in water. It is used as a syssemantograph, equivalent to the modern word chén喋↵喌‘to sink/to drown/to submerge’. In OBI, chén喋↵喌 refers to a ritual of animal sacrificed by submerging and drowning animals, probably in river. This graph is partially missing on the rubbing, but still can be recognized.

Practice

09663

10083

09666

1JFDF
 Yuè Hé Náo 1

2

OBI

  Transcription yǐ mǎo crack Bīn divine present turtle tomorrow day wù wǔ crack Bīn divine Jiǔ pray harvest at Yuè Hé Náo

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_90

367

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

368

Reading [1] Crack-making on yǐmǎo喋day 52喌, Bīn divined: Presenting turtles. Perform Yìrì- ritual. [2] Crack-making on wùwǔ喋day 55喌, Bīn divined: Perform Jiǔ-ritual and pray for the harvest from Yuè, Hé, and Náo.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 10076喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊
Period 1喌. The first line is about a presentation of turtle in a Yìrì-ritual, one of the five rituals in the five-ritual cycle. The second line is about performing Jiǔ-ritual and praying to the three High Ancestors, Yuè, Hé, and Náo, asking for a bountiful harvest. 2. The graph 喋yǎn ⩃喌is a pictogram of
yǎn喋⩃喌‘an ancient cooking utensil’. It is used here as a loangraph for xiàn喋⢧喌‘to give/to present/to donate’. The graph 喋guī 哈喌is a pictogram of turtle. The graph  is a variant of the graph  , referring to the high ancestor Náo喋฾喌
.

Practice

10103

10085

1JFDF
 Calming Locust at Deity Sǔn

9 7 4

8

6

3 2

5 1

OBI



ᔁግ    ᔁ          © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_91

369

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

370

 ᖪ Transcription dīng mǎo divine Téng use Qiāng qí apply from Shàng Jiǎ Jǐ toward at Father Dīng dīng mǎo divine Téng use Qiāng at Father Dīng xīn wèi divine at Hé pray crop xīn wèi divine pray crop high ancestor Hé at xīnsì Jiǔ Liáo xīn wèi divine qí pray crop at high ancestor xīn wèi divine pray crop at Yuè xīn wèi divine pray crop at Hé Liáo three láo drown three cattle Yí penned-cattle xīn wèi divine qí pray crop at high ancestor Liáo fifteen láo yǐ hài crack qí calm locust at Sǔn

Reading [1] Day dīngmǎo喋day 4喌divined: Téng will sacrifice Qiāng, would applicable喋for the ritual喌? 喋We will喌offer Jǐ-ritual to ancestral kings, from Shàng Jiǎ喋PK1喌to Father Dīng喋King Wǔ Dīng喌. [2] Day dīngmǎo喋day 4喌divined: Téng will sacrifice Qiāng喋and offer them喌to Father Dīng 喋King Wǔ Dīng喌. [3] Day xīnwèi喋day 8喌divined: Pray to Hé for good harvest. [4] Day xīnwèi喋day 8喌divined: Pray to the High Ancestor Hé for good harvest, on xīnsì喋day 18喌, offering Jiǔ-ritual喋wine libation喌and Liáo-ritual喋burnt offering喌.

Piece 91

371

[5] Day xīnwèi喋day 8喌divined: Would pray to the High Ancestor for good harvest. [6] Day xīnwèi喋day 8喌divined: Pray to Yuè for good harvest. [7] Day xīnwèi喋day 8喌divined: Pray to Hé for good harvest, perform Liáo-ritual with three penned cattle, Chén-ritual with three cattle, and Yí-ritual with penned cattle. [8] Day xīnwèi喋day 8喌divined: Would pray to High Ancestor for good harvest, perform Liáoritual with fifteen penned cattle. [9] Crack-making on yǐhài喋day 12喌, would pray to Sǔn喋the ancestral spirit喌, for suppressing the locust disaster.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 32028喌belongs to diviner Lì Èr Group喋₣θ䶊 , Period 1 and 2喌. Lines 1 and 2 are about sacrificial ritual dedicated to ancestors from Shàng Jiǎ喋PK1喌down to Father Dīng喋King Wǔ Dīng, K21喌using Qiāng victims presented by Téng. Lines 3 to 8, all divined on xīnwèi喋day 8喌, are about asking for good harvest from High Ancestors, including Hé and Yuè. The ninth line, divined on yǐhài喋day 12喌, is about praying to Sǔn喋喌
, some ancestral spirit or deity, to eliminate or pacify the migratory locust. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋téng 喌is a personal name or the name of a statelet. The graph ግ喋jǐ 喌refers to the ritual that involves bloodletting喋of animals喌. See Piece 47. The graph 喋tíng 㔕喌is equivalent to the modern word níng喋ᄓ喌‘to calm down/to stop’. In OBI, sacrificial rituals were performed to calm down wind喋níng fēng ᄓ䷔喌, rain喋níng yǔ ᄓ䰔喌and illness喋níng jí ᄓ⫪喌. The graph 喋qiū ⟫ zhōng 㳩喌depicts a grasshopper or locust. The term ‘níng qiū’ 喋㔕⟫喌 means ‘to calm or to stop the migratory locust disaster’. The graph 喋sǔn  / ᜐ喌is either a Shāng ancestral spirit or a deity, whose identity is unclear.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

372

Practice

33230

33234

33232

1JFDF
 Not Having Abundant Harvest 5

4

3

2

1

OBI

 ᙃല ല © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_92

373

374

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

ല  Transcription not Yòu at Zǔ Dīng divine Dì order rain not qí bountiful harvest divine pray harvest at Yuè Dì order rain bountiful harvest … at … order pray …

Reading [1] Do not perform Yòu-ritual to Zǔ Dīng. [2] Divined: The Supreme Dì orders rain,喋for喌not having a bountiful harvest. [3] Divined: Pray harvest to Yuè. [4] The Supreme Dì orders rain,喋for喌having a bountiful harvest. [5]… at … order pray …

375

Piece 92

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 10139喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ ڤ‬䇿 䶊
Period 1喌. The first line is about offering to Zǔ Dīng喋K15喌; the second and fourth lines are about whether the Supreme God would command the rainfall to ensure abundant harvest. The third line is about praying to Yuè for good harvest. 2. The graph 喋dì ፉ喌is equivalent to the character dì喋ፉ喌‘the supreme god’ . We translate it as the Supreme Dì. Despite many studies, there is no consensus on the original meaning of this graph. The graph was used in Period 1 strictly for the supernatural spirit that could command ‘wind’ , ‘rain’ and destroy ‘city’ . Later on, this graph was adopted as the posthumous title for deceased Shāng kings. By the late Zhōu Dynasty, the graph becomes the title of a reigning king. 3. The graph ⼒喋zhèng ₏喌is used in OBI as喋i喌a verb zhēng喋ᒭ喌
‘to invade/to attack’;喋ii喌 an adjective zhēng喋₏喌in zhēng yuè喋₏ᰴ喌‘the First Month’ ;喋iii喌an adjective equivalent to the modern word zú喋䋟 喌‘abundant/bounty/bountiful’ , like zú nián喋䋟 Ꭰ 喌‘abundant harvest’ , zú yǔ喋䋟䰔喌‘abundant rain’; and喋iv喌a noun zhèng喋₏喌‘a ceremonial ritual’.

Practice

14141

10138

1JFDF
 King Orders Opening Land

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_93

377

378

OBI

   თ    ᖪ ᖪ Transcription guǐ hài divine at Mù till … guǐ hài divine king order many minister till farm at west receive crop guǐ hài divine many minister not receive crop wù chén divine pray crop from Shàng Jiǎ qí Liáo guǐ hài divine qì pray crop from Shàng Jiǎ yǐ chǒu divine king order till field at Jīng at Yíng till field

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Piece 93

379

Reading [1] Day guǐhài喋day 60喌divined: At Mù open a land … [2] Day guǐhài喋day 60喌divined: The King orders Duō Yǐn to open land at West.

喋Would we喌receive crops? [3] Day guǐhài divined:喋If喌Duō Yǐn does not do喋it喌,喋would we喌receive harvest? [4] Day wùchén喋day 5喌divined: Pray for harvest from Shàng Jiǎ, should喋we喌perform burnt offering Liáo-ritual? [5] Day guǐhài喋day 60喌divined: Should pray for harvest from Shàng Jiǎ. [6] Day yǐchǒu喋day 2喌, the King orders喋Duō Yǐn喌to open land at Jīng. [7] Open up a land at Yíng.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 33209喌belongs to the diviner Lì Èr Group喋₣θ䶊 , Period 1 and 2喌. It contains seven lines. The first, second, third, sixth and seventh lines are about kù tián喋➋⩜喌
, agricultural activities related to opening up and preparing a piece of new land for farming喋i.e. raking, burning, and plowing the field喌. The King ordered Duō Yǐn to perform such a duty. The fourth and fifth lines were about praying to ancestor kings, from Shàng Jiǎ down, for a good harvest. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋yǐn ᅥ喌depicts a hand holding a pen. It is the protograph of the modern word yǐn喋ᅥ喌‘official, a title of ancient official position’. The term Duō Yǐn喋ๆᅥ喌literally means ‘many Yǐn’ is a title referring to a class of Shāng officials.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

380

The graph  / ෌喋kù  / ➋喌depicts two hands holding soil or clump of earth. The graph is used as a syssemantograph, meaning ‘to open up a land for farming/to make a land ready for planting crops’. The graph 喋bǐ ᱸ喌depicts two bows next to each other. In OBI, it is used as a negation adverb, meaning ‘not’. The graph 喋jīng Ϙ喌is the name of a place. The graph ᣨ喋yíng 䈻喌is the name of a place.

Practice

33211

33212

1JFDF
 Plowing Jointly

2

1

OBI

⬫ⵛ⦲Ა෈ઍ㗠 ฉല⇼ ᕭ ᑄ㗠ฉല Transcription [king] big order many people say xie field qí receive harvest ten one moon … crack Quē divine not qí receive harvest

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_94

381

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

382

Reading [1] The King grandly commanded the multitude, said: Plow the fields jointly and喋we喌would receive harvest. The eleventh month. [2] Crack-making on …, Quē divined:喋We喌would not receive harvest.

Annotation 1. The piece喋Heji 00001+ Héjí Bǔbiān 657喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊 , Period 1喌. Line 1 describes that King Wǔ Dīng serenely ordered zhòng rén, the multitude, to perform the xié tián喋plow jointly喌activity at the time of the eleventh month. The key terms here are zhòng rén and xié tián, which we translate, respectively, as ‘the multitude, the commoners’ and ‘jointly plowing the field’. 2. Graphs and Idioms The term dà lìng喋๓А喌means ‘to make a grand command’. The subject who gives the order should be the King; the graph for ‘king’ is missing on this piece. This term also appears in ancient texts. The graph ⦲喋zhòng ⱪ喌depicts three persons standing under the sun. It is the protograph of the word zhòng喋ⱪ 喌
. The nature and status of zhòng or zhòngrén喋ⱪ Ϧ 喌in Shāng has been a topic of much discussion; it probably refers to a social class of commoners, farmers, and soldiers, but not slaves. The graph ෈喋xié 喌is the protograph of the word xié喋ߒ / ࢀ喌‘to assist, jointly’. The graph is composed of three plough signs喋ሺ lěi 㔾 喌on top of a mouth sign. The term xié tián喋ߒ⩜喌means ‘to plow together’.

383

Piece 94

Practice

00005

00003

1JFDF
 Crop Inspection

OBI

 Transcription divine king not go inspect millet

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_95

385

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

386

Reading Divined: The King喋would喌not go and inspect the millet fields.

Annotation

1. This piece喋Heji 09612喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ ڤ‬䇿 䶊
Period 1喌. The inscriptions are about whether the King was going to certain place to survey the millet fields. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋wù ࠫ喌is an adverb of negation. The graph 喋xǐng Ⱝ喌is equivalent to the modern character xǐng喋Ⱝ喌‘to visit, to be aware, to inspect’. It is composed of a graphic sign of eye and another sign 喋shēng ⩋喌serving as a phonetic component. The graph 喋shǔ 叹喌depicts millet.

Practice

09638

09611

09613

1JFDF
 Pray for Childbearing

OBI

  Transcription xīn sì divine qí pray birth at Bǐ Gēng Bǐ Bǐng cattle sheep white pig

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_96

387

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

388

Reading Day xīnsì喋day 18喌divined: Would pray for child bearing to Bǐ Gēng, Bǐ Bǐng,喋with the offering喌of a male cattle, a male sheep喋and喌a white male pig?

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 34081喌belonged to the diviner Lì Èr Group喋₣ θ 䶊 , Period 1 and 2喌. The bone is partially broken; only one line of inscriptions is complete. The divination is about the pray to two female ancestors, Bǐ Gēng喋໏Ꮖ喌and Bǐ Bǐng喋໏ͅ喌
, for fertility and childbearing by offering sacrificial animals, a male cattle, a male sheep and a white male pig. Bǐ Gēng was the Queen of Xiǎo Yǐ喋ᄻ΅喌and the mother of King Wǔ Dīng喋ₒ̭喌
. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋hū ⹷喌is equivalent to the modern word qiú喋Ⅾ喌‘to ask for/to beg for/to pray for’ . The graph 喋shēng ⩋喌depicts a bud emerging from the ground; it is equivalent to the modern character shēng喋⩋喌‘to give birth/to grow’. The graphs  and  are composed of an animal sign喋niú ➇ ‘cattle’ or yáng 㒶 ‘sheep’喌 and a gender sign喋ද ‘male’喌. For sacrificial rituals, the Shāng people did take the gender of sacrificial animals into consideration. Now, the modern words mǔ喋➍ 喌and pìn喋➉ 喌 are used, respectively, as generic nouns for male and female animals. The graph 喋bái ⮩喌is the protograph of bái喋⮩喌‘white’. The word bái
in OBI and BI was also used to refer to bó喋ћ喌‘lord/leader/elder’. The graph 喋jiā 䆙喌is the protograph of jiā喋ၳ喌‘male pig’.

389

Piece 96

Practice

34078

34079

34082

1JFDF
 Fù Hǎo Gave Birth

2

1

OBI

    ৾    ੉   ৾ © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_97

391

392

   ੉  ৾ Transcription jiǎ shēn crack Què divine lady Hǎo delivery good king prognosticate say that would dīng delivery good that would gēng delivery huge auspicious three xún and one day jiǎ yín delivery no good only girl jiǎ shēn crack Què divine Lady Hǎo delivery not that good three xún and one day jiǎ yín delivery indeed not good only girl

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Piece 97

393

Reading [1] Crack-making on jiǎshēn喋day 21喌, Què divined: Lady Hǎo is going to give birth,喋it will be喌boy? The King prognosticated: Perhaps it will be喋delivered喌on dīng喋yǒu喌 喋day 34喌, 喋it will be喌boy. Perhaps it will be喋delivered喌on gēng喋zǐ喌 喋day 37喌.喋Either way, it will be喌extended auspiciousness. After 31 days on jiǎyín喋day 51喌,喋Lady Hǎo喌gives birth,喋it is喌not a boy, but a girl. [2] Crack-making on jiǎshēn喋day 21喌, Què divined: Lady Hǎo is going to give birth, perhaps not a boy, after 31 days, on jiǎyín喋day 51喌 喋she喌gives birth, indeed not a boy, but a girl.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 14002喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ ڤ‬䇿 䶊

Period 1喌. The divination was made by Què, King Wǔ Dīng prognosticated and declared that his consort Fù Hǎo喋ፆຩ喌would give birth on what day and the gender of the new-born. It turns out that 31 days after the divination, Lady Fù Hǎo gave birth to a daughter. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋zhǒu ፆ喌depicts a groom or certain head dress. It is the protograph of fù喋ྒ喌 ‘woman/lady’. In OBI, the graph specifically refers to a title of a royal lady, including the consort and queen. The graph ⤳喋miǎn ཕ喌is generally agreed to be equivalent to the modern word miǎn喋ཕ喌 ‘v. to give birth/n. delivery’. The graph ഷ喋lěi  喌is composed of two signs, ⽻喋sign for woman喌and ሺ lěi喋㔾

sign for plough喌. The graph is the protograph of the word jiā喋ଵ喌‘fine/splendid/nice’. This graph always goes with the event of miǎn喋ཕ喌‘to give birth’ in OBI where it was used as an adverb to indicate the sex of the child to be born. If the gender of the newborn is male, it would be jiā喋good喌, otherwise, it will be bù jiā喋̹ଵ

not good喌.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

394

Practice

14000

14014

14009

1JFDF
 Toothache 2

1

3

4

6 5

OBI

     

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_98

395

396

Transcription divine coming gēng yín qí rain not qí rain divine sick tooth divine sick tooth not wéi Father Yǐ harm divine sick tooth wéi [Father Yǐ harm] divine sick tooth not wéi [Father Yǐ harm]

Reading [1] Divined: This coming gēngyín喋day 27喌would it rain? [2] Would it not rain? [3] Divined: Tooth pain.喋Caused by the curse of Father Yǐ.喌 [4] Divined: Tooth pain. Not caused by the curse of Father Yǐ. [5] Divined: Tooth pain. Caused by the curse of Father Yǐ. [6] Divined: Tooth pain. Not caused by the curse of Father Yǐ.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

397

Piece 98

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 13652喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ ڤ‬䇿 䶊 , Period 1喌. It has two parts, one about the rain in coming days喋lines 1 and 2喌, and the other part喋lines 3 to 6喌 is about the toothache. King Wǔ Dīng had toothache and tried to figure out whether the curse of his deceased Father Xiǎo Yǐ喋K20喌was the cause. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋jí ⫪喌depicts a man lying on a bed sweating. It is the protograph of jí喋⫪喌 ‘disease/illness’. In OBI, it is used as a verb meaning ‘to suffer from’. Thus the term of ‘jí + body part’ indicates that part of body suffers from illness. Here, jí chǐ喋⫪呾喌means ‘toothache’. The graph 喋chǐ 呾喌is a pictograph of tooth or teeth. The graph 喋⓽ or 喌is equivalent to the character hài喋ჟ喌
, meaning that ancestral spirit brought curse or harm to cause the pain like toothache.

Practice

13657

13630

13628

1JFDF
 Nose Pain 2 1 3

5

4

OBI

   ᖀᖀ ᖀᖀ

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_99

399

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

400

Transcription jiǎ yín crack Què divine tomorrow yǐ mǎo change day Divine tomorrow yǐ mǎo not qí change day yǐ mǎo divine have illness nose would have pain Divine have illness nose no would have pain

Reading

[1] Crack-making on jiǎyín喋day 51喌, Què divined: Tomorrow yǐmǎo喋day 52喌change the date. [2] Divined: Tomorrow yǐmǎo would not change the date. [3] Day yǐmǎo喋day 52喌 [4] Divined: Nose pain, haunted by evil spirit. [5] Divined: Nose pain, not haunted by evil spirit.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 11506喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊
Period 1喌. There are two parts, one about yì rì喋ᮥᬑ喌‘date change’ and the other about the nose pain. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋yì ᬿ喌is equivalent to the modern word yì喋ᬿ喌‘to change’. When used together with rì喋ᬑ喌it forms an idiom frequently seen in OBI, the precise meaning of this idiom has been controversial. Here we tentatively interpret this term as ‘to change the date’.

401

Piece 99

The graph 喋zì 㜖喌is a pictograph for nose. It is also used to mean ‘oneself’ or ‘from’. To distinguish, a phonetic element bì喋⩬喌was added to zì喋㜖喌to form a new graph bí 喋呧喌‘nose’, whereas the graph zì
retains the derived meaning of ‘oneself’ and ‘from’. The Shāng believed that illness was caused by the curse from ancestral spirits, like their deceased parents and grandparents. To mitigate the pain, they would perform some kind of exorcism rituals to pacify or to please the spirits, and to fend off the harm. Here, the nose pain was attributed to some ancestral spirit that was not identified in the text.

Practice

13620

13613

13615

1JFDF

Fāng Swayed from the East

OBI

 ฒ 

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_100

403

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

404

Transcription jiǎ xū crack Fú divined Fāng qí sail at east nine moon

Reading

Crack-making on jiǎxū喋day 51喌, Fú divined: Fāng State was coming with boats from the East, the ninth month.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 20619喌belongs to the diviner Duī Xiǎozì Group喋Ⓨ ᄻ ႃ 䶊 , Period 1喌. The inscription is about potential military activity of the Fāng State, which was situated to the east of the Shāng. Fāng was coming from the east by boats, probably a military action. Alternatively, Fāng may refer to any unspecified frontier states. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋fú អ喌is the name of a diviner. The graph ණ喋fāng ᫥喌here refers to喋i喌a specific state named Fāng, or喋ii喌a generic name for any frontier states, as suggested by Edward Shaughnessy. The graph ฒ or ท喋dà છ喌depicts a person standing on a boat with an oar or paddle. The exact meaning and pronunciation are unclear. According to Sòng Zhènháo, the graph may be equivalent to the modern character dàng喋㪕喌‘to move in swinging manner’ and can be interpreted as navigation with military boats.

405

Piece 100

Practice

11468

11467

11471

1JFDF
 King’s Inspectional Campaign

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_101

407

408

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

OBI

 ේᖪ ᖪ ᖪ  ㄇ  Transcription guǐ sì crack at Fǎn divine king xún no disaster at five moon king campaign [to Shàng Yǒu] guǐ mǎo crack at Gēng divine king xún no disaster at six moon king campaign to Shàng Yǒu guǐ chǒu crack at Zhǐ divine king xún no disaster at six moon king campaign to Shàng Yǒu guǐ hài crack at Xiàng divine king xún no disaster at six moon king campaign to Shàng Yǒu guǐ yǒu crack at Shàng Yǒu divine king xún no disaster at seven moon guǐ wèi crack divine king xún no disaster at seven moon king attack Guǐ damage Shāng at Jué guǐ sì crack at Shàng Yǒu divine king xún no disaster at seven moon

Piece 101

409

Reading [1] Crack-making on guǐsì喋day 30喌, divined at Fǎn: The King will be fine for the next xún 喋10-day week喌, at the fifth month. The King proceeded to arrive to Shàngyǒu. [2] Crack-making on guǐmǎo喋day 40喌, divined at Gēng: The King will be fine for the next xún 喋10-day week喌, at the sixth month. The King proceeded to arrive to Shàngyǒu. [3] Crack-making on guǐchǒu喋day 50喌, divined at Zhǐ: The King will be fine for the next xún 喋10-day week喌, at the sixth month. The King proceeded to arrive to Shàngyǒu. [4] Crack-making on guǐhài喋day 60喌, divined at Xiàng: The King will be fine in the next xún 喋10-day week喌, at the sixth month. The King proceeded to arrive to Shàngyǒu. [5] Crack-making on guǐyǒu喋day 10喌, divined at Shàngyǒu: The King will be fine in the next xún喋10-day week喌, at the seventh month. [6] Crack-making on guǐwèi喋day 20喌, divined喋at Shàngyǒu喌: The King will be fine in the next xún喋10-day week喌, at the seventh month. The King took military action against Guǐ State and damaged Shāng, at Jué. [7] Crack-making on guǐsì喋day 30喌, divined at Shàngyǒu: The King will be fine in the next xún 喋10-day week喌, at the seventh month.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 36537喌belongs to the diviner Huáng Group喋台㉰ , Period 5喌. The key word  喋bì  喌here means ‘to make an inspectional military campaign or expedition against some state or area’. The King Dì Xīn喋K29喌started out at a place called Fǎn to take an expedition to a place called Shàngyǒu. It took more than 40 days for this trip. During the trip the King performed bǔxún divination every 10 days, ritually asking about the fortune for the next 10-day cycle. After the arrival, the King stayed there for a month or so. During the stay the King also took military action against Guǐ State. If we assume that each day the King’s entourage and army could make a distance of 30 kms, then the distance between Fǎn and Shàngyǒu could be 1200 kms or about 700 miles.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

410

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋bì  or ⢢ 喌is equivalent to the modern word bì喋ℂ 喌‘to take punitive or shock-and-awe expedition against a state or an area’. The graph 喋fǎn ࣹ喌is a place name. The graph 喋huò 喌is the variant of huò喋喌that was used in OBI of Period 5. The graph is equivalent to the modern character huò喋⺹喌‘disaster’. The graph 喋yǒu 喌is only used in theplace name Shàng Yǒu喋̶喌
. The graph ේ喋gēng 喌is the name of a place. The graph 喋zhǐ ⣪喌is the name of a place. The graph 喋ऽ喌is the name of a place. The graph ㄇ喋guǐ 喌is the name of a state. After Guǐ State was conquered, the place would be called Guǐ, not Guǐ Fāng anymore. The graph 喋shāng ੲ喌is a place name, probably unrelated to the Shāng capital which was also called Shāng. The graph 喋jué ❡喌is a pictograph for jué喋❡喌‘wine drinking utensil’. Here it refers to a place name. The graph 喋jiān ᝀ喌is equivalent to the modern word cán喋⃄喌‘to destroy/to damage’.

411

Piece 101

Practice

36596

36571

1JFDF
 King Established Settlement

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_102

413

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

414

OBI

ᕭⓐ ⻙ Transcription jǐ mǎo crack Zhēng divine king make settlement god permit we follow toward Táng

Reading [1] Crack-making on jǐmǎo喋day 16喌, Zhēng divined: The King establishes the city喋settlement喌, the Supreme Dì喋God喌is agreeable喋gives permission喌. [2] We follow to Táng.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 14200喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊 , Period 1喌. The first line is about the approval or satisfaction of Supreme Dì喋Highest Deity喌with regard to establishing a new settlement喋yì 䖽喌by the King. The term zuòyì喋҈䖽喌also appears in ancient texts like the Shījīng喋Dàyǎ, Wén Wáng yǒushēng,

ȧ㾕㊿e๓䯱e᪳⢷ᰵ㖞Ȩ喌
. The meaning of the second line is unclear. Táng could refer to the Temple of Dà Yǐ喋K1喌.

415

Piece 102

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋zhà ͹喌is the protograph of the character zuò喋҈喌‘to do, to establish, to make’. The graph 喋yì 䖽喌is the protograph of yì喋䖽喌‘settlement, city, town’. The graph 喋dì ፉ喌is equivalent to the character
dì喋ፉ喌
, referring to the Supreme God or deity with supranatural power. The graph 喋ruò 㠑喌is equivalent to the modern word ruò喋㠑喌‘to agree/to permit’. The graph 喋táng ਼喌is the name of the Founding King of the Shāng Dynasty.

Practice

14205

14203

1JFDF
 Dì Damaged This Settlement

2

1

OBI

 ᙃ Transcription wù xū crack Zhēng divine god damage this settlement divine god no damage this settlement

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_103

417

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

418

Reading [1] Crack-making on wùxū喋day 35喌, Zhēng divined: The Supreme Dì喋God喌would damage this settlement. [2] Divined: The Supreme Dì would not damage this settlement.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 14211喌belongs to the diviner Bīn Yī Group喋䇿̬䶊

Period 1喌. The inscription is about whether or not the Supreme Dì, the Highest Deity, would bring disaster to or damage this settlement. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ⢄ depicts an arrow aiming at a child. It is a syssematograph, meaning ‘to damage/ to harm/to bring disasters to’. We transcribe the graph as喋喌and tentatively read it as jiù 喋঺喌‘to damage’. The graph  is the protograph of dì喋ፉ喌‘god, deity’. There is no consensus about the etymological origin of this graph. The graph dì in OBI referred to the Supreme God, superior in power than the ancestral spirits and other Nature Powers. The term zī yì喋‫ڥ‬䖽喌means ‘this settlement’ or ‘this city’. Alternatively, It may refer to the Shāng Capital.

419

Piece 103

Practice

14208

1JFDF
 Dì Terminated This Settlement 1

2

4

6

3

5

OBI

 ᙃ  ᙃ ㅿᖪ © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_104

421

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

422

 Transcription bǐng chén crack Què divine god would thus terminate this settlement divine god no terminate this settlement divine god would thus terminate this settlement divine god no terminate this settlement tomorrow gēng shēn Shù to Huáng Shì divine we dance rain

Reading [1] Crack-making on bǐngchén喋day 53喌, Què divined: The Supreme Dì will terminate this settlement. [2] Divined: The Supreme Dì will not terminate this settlement. [3] Divined: The Supreme Dì will terminate this settlement. [4] Divined: The Supreme Dì will not terminate this settlement. [5] Next gēngshēn喋day 57喌, perform Shù-ritual for Huáng Shì. [6] Divined: We danced,喋asking for喌the rainfall.

Piece 104

423

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 14210喌belongs to the diviner Bīn Yī Group喋䇿̬䶊 , Period 1喌. There are three parts. The first part, lines 1-4, is about whether the Supreme God would destroy this settlement or not. Two sets of divination were made; each set is composed of a positive and a negative charge. The second part喋line 5喌is about performing a Shù-ritual for Huáng Shì. The nature of the Shù -ritual is not clear. The third part喋line 6喌is about praying for rainfall by performing a dance ritual. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋dōng ۘ喌is the protograph of the modern word zhōng喋㉮喌‘to terminate’. However, the word zhōng can also mean ‘to last/to complete’. Thus this piece of OBI can have two completely different interpretations, one is ‘to terminate or to abolish this settlement’, the other is ‘to complete喋the construction of喌this settlement’ or ‘to make the settlement lasting’. Most scholars prefer the first interpretation. The graph ㅿ喋shù 喌refers to a ceremonial ritual, probably similar to Liáo喋⛺喌or Chái 喋⺍喌
. The graph 喋huáng 台 喌is the protograph of huáng喋台 喌‘yellow’. It is also used for personal name. The identity of Huáng Shì is unclear. The graph 喋shì ນ喌was used in OBI to indicate spousal relationship. Here Huáng Shì could refer to the spouse of Huáng or could just be a personal name. The graph  is the protograph of the modern character wǔ喋㝊喌‘to dance’. The term wǔ yǔ 喋㝊䰔喌refers to a rainmaking ritual with dance, performed during drought to invoke rain.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

424

Practice

14209

1JFDF
 Adding Lù Qĭ

OBI

྅ᕭ⑎ ᔺ⭵ᅂ⠉⇼ Transcription jiǎ xū crack Bīn divine exchange Lù Qǐ manage king affair two moon

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_105

425

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

426

Reading Crack-making on jiǎxū喋day 11喌, Bīn divined:喋Should we喌add Qĭ of Lù to be responsible for managing the King’s affairs? The second month.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 05458喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊
Period 1喌. The inscription is about the appointment喋assignment喌of Lù Qĭ to manage or carry out the royal business. The phrase ᅂ⠉ xié wáng shì喋ࢀ⢷η喌‘to manage king’s business’ was a commonly used Shāng idiom. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph ᔺ喋yì ⯶喌depicts an act of pouring water喋or wine喌from yí喋ࡈ喌‘a liquid pourer’喋right side of the graph喌to a utensil called mǐn喋⯫喌 喋left side of the graph喌. As a syssemantograph, the graph means ‘to pour/to add’. Here, the inscriptions can be interpreted as ‘to add Lù Qĭ to take care of King’s matter’. An alternative explanation of this graph is yì 喋ᬿ喌‘to exchange’ and the sentence would then be understood as meaning ‘to reassign Lù Qĭ to take care of the King’s matter’. The graph ⭵喋lù ኹ 喌is the name of a statelet. Here, Qĭ喋ⴲ 喌is the personal name of the leader or official of Lù Statelet. Lù frequently provided the Shāng with pyromantic shells and plastrons. The graph 喋qĭ ⴲ喌depicts a hand on a window, meaning ‘to open up’, usually referring to ‘the sky opening up’. Here, it is used as a personal name. The etymological origin of the graph  is unclear. The graph was transcribed as zài喋⛷喌 喋zài 䐵喌, meaning ‘to perform/to execute’ as used in the term zài qí shì喋䐵‫ڢ‬η喌that appeared in the Xúnzĭ喋 ȧ㡬ၼȨ 喌
, meaning ‘to perform the duty/to manage the affairs’. Thus the phrase ᅂ⠉ can be read as as zài wáng shì喋䐵⢷η喌‘to manage the king’s affairs’. Some scholars also read this idiom as xié wáng shì喋ࢀ⢷η喌or xíng wáng shì喋㵸⢷η喌
, meaning ‘to coordinate, to conduct king’s businesses’. The graph ⠉喋shì η喌depicts a hand holding a pole-like item. The graph is used as shǐ喋ҫ喌 ‘to let’, shǐ喋ञ喌‘minister’, or shì喋η喌‘affair’.

427

Piece 105

Practice

05454

05459

1JFDF
 Zhǐ Managed Royal Affairs 3

2

OBI

 ᕭ ᙃ ᕭᖪ © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_106

429

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

430

Transcription divine Zhǐ manage king affair bǐng wǔ crack Bīn divine Zhǐ not qí manage king affair bǐng wǔ crack Bīn divine huì Wéi call go to Kǎi

Reading [1] Divined: Zhǐ manages喋conducts喌royal affairs. [2] Crack-making on bǐngwǔ喋day 43喌, Bīn divined: Zhǐ would not be managing the royal affairs. [3] Crack-making on bǐngwǔ喋day 43喌, Bīn divined: Call upon only Wéi to go to Kǎi.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 05478喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊
Period 1喌. There are two parts. The first part喋lines 1 and 2喌consists of a positive and a negative charge about managing the king’s affairs by an official named Zhǐ. The two lines are separated far apart but clearly form a pair. The second part is about calling upon an official Wéi to go to the place called Kǎi. It can be noted that the lines 2 and 3 share the first four graphs in the preface of their divination. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋zhǐ ᬔ喌is the personal name of an official. In the next piece喋Piece 107喌an official is called Xī Shǐ Zhǐ喋㺫ҫᬔ喌
. It is most likely that the person Zhǐ喋ᬔ喌here and Xī Shǐ Zhǐ
on Piece 107 refer to the same person. Xī Shǐ ‘west minister’ is his official title.

431

Piece 106

The graph 喋wéi ⹊喌is the personal name. The graph 喋hū ͺ喌depicts a sound coming out of a long horn. The graph is used as a syssemantograph, meaning ‘to call upon, to call’. The graph 喋kǎi  / 㤥 喌is a place name, equivalent to the word kǎi喋‫ ܝ‬喌
. Some scholars read this graph as ‘wēi ᓚ ’. It is interesting to note that the graphs 喋wéi ⹊喌and  喋kǎi 喌on this piece are, respectively, the names of west and south wind, respectively in Piece 14. Some scholars read this graph as ‘wēi ᓚ ’.

Practice

05476

05479

1JFDF
 West Minister Zhǐ

2

1

4 3

6

5 10

8

9 7

OBI

ᕭ ᙈ ᕭ ᖀ  ᙈ ᖀ  ᙈ ᖀ ᙈ © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_107

433

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

434

ᖀ ᙈ ᖀ Transcription gēng zĭ crack Zhēng divine west minister Zhǐ no disaster manage gēng zĭ crack Zhēng divine west minister Zhǐ qí have disaster divine west minister Zhǐ no disaster manage west minister Zhǐ qí have disaster divine Zhǐ no disaster Zhǐ qí have disaster Zhǐ no disaster qí have disaster Zhǐ no disaster qí have disaster

Reading [1] Crack-making on gēngzĭ喋day 37喌, Zhēng divined: West Minister Zhǐ喋will have喌no disaster 喋in喌taking care of royal business?喋He can喌manage喋the royal business喌? [2] Crack-making on gēngzĭ喋day 37喌cracked, Zhēng divined: West Minister Zhǐ may 喋encounter喌disaster? [3] Divined: West Minister Zhǐ喋will have喌no disaster.喋He can喌manage喋the royal business喌? [4] The West Minister may encounter disaster? [5] Divined: Zhǐ喋encounters喌no disaster? [6] Zhǐ may encounter disaster? [7] Zhǐ喋encounters喌no disaster? [8]喋Zhǐ喌may encounter disaster? [9] Zhǐ喋encounters喌no disaster? [10]喋Zhǐ喌may encounter disaster?

435

Piece 107

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 05637喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊 , Period 1喌. There are five pairs of divination. The first pair, [1] and [2], consists of the typical preface, charge, both positive and negative. The question posed was the upcoming royal business that the xī Shǐ, the West Minister, was responsible for. Apparently this event could engender some risks, and therefore the King performed divination about the well-being of the minister. Since the cracking of the same event was repeated five times, the recording became more and more abridged so that in the end each divination contained only three graphs. 2. There are also two crack notations喋zhào cí ‫ٲ‬䓙喌visible on the rubbing of this piece: èr gào 喋θॶ喌and bù wǔ喋̹喌
, which are related to the interpretation of cracks on the shell.

Practice

05636

05635

1JFDF
 Mining the Ore

1

2

OBI

⸷  © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_108

437

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

438

Transcription jǐ mǎo crack Xī divine order many offspring clan ally dog lord mine mineral manage king matter five moon divine not call return five moon

Reading [1] Crack-making on jǐmǎo喋day 16喌, Xī divined:喋The King喌orders Duō Zǐ Clan to ally with Quǎn Marqius to mine the precious metals and to manage royal business.喋It is in喌the fifith month. [2] Divined:喋Do喌not call喋someone喌to return.喋It is in喌the fifth month.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 06812喌belongs to the diviner Bīn Yī Group喋䇿̬䶊

Period 1喌. There are two inscriptions. The first one is about jade or ore mining. The King ordered the Duō Zǐ Clan to work together with Marquis Quǎn to mine jade or precious metal and manage royal affairs. The second one is too short to make sense. It is unclear whether these two lines of inscriptions are related. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋xī ⹷喌is equivalent to the modern word xī喋ຆ喌
. Here it is the name of a diviner. The graph 喋zú ᫻喌depicts an arrow placed underneath a banner or flag pole. It is equivalent to the modern word zú喋᫻喌‘clan’. The graph 喋bǐ ℀喌is interpreted as ‘be together/to form alliance’. The graph 喋hóu ӛ喌depicts an arrow meeting its target and means ‘archery target’. It is used as a loangraph for the noble title, equivalent to ‘duke’ or ‘marquis’. The graph ⸷喋pú ⧊喌depicts two hands holding a chisel- or bore-like tool to dig out something 喋most likely jade or copper ore喌and collect them in a basket inside the mountain. As a syssemantograph, the graph means ‘to mine’. Chisel-like tools and the bamboo-made baskets have been discovered archaeologically at ancient mining sites like Tónglǜ Shān喋䞱㐫ᆝ喌in Húběi Province.

439

Piece 108

The graph 喋zhōu ঔ喌was originally thought to be just the name of the rival state of Shāng: Zhōufāng. Thus, the term pú zhōu喋⧊ঔ喌was interpreted as kòu zhōu喋ჳঔ喌or fá zhōu 喋мঔ喌meaning ‘to attack Zhōu State’. Yè Yùsēn
first proposed that zhōu喋ঔ喌actually depicts a mining wire mesh made for sieving or screening metal ore deposits and thus signifies jīn喋䛽喌‘metal’. Later, Lín Yún
and Cháo Fúlín
have made a cogent argument that the OBI graph pú喋⧊喌signified the activity of ore mining and that the graph zhōu  signified the mined ore喋i.e. copper, gold, jade stone etc喌. In view of the copper needed for making large quantities of bronze vessels, it is reasonable to assume that copper mining was a major royal business. Indeed, in Heji 06818 the graph zhōu
does look like a framed mesh, and does not look like divided farmland, which scholars generally believed to be the origin of the graph zhōu. The graph 喋guī ₤喌is equivalent to the modern word guī喋₤喌‘to return’.

Practice

06822

06814

1JFDF
 Royal Inspection

2

1

OBI

ᙈ ᙈ

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_109

441

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

442

Transcription jǐ hài crack divine king inspect go come no disaster xīn chǒu crack divine king inspect go come no disaster

Reading [1] Crack-making on jǐhài喋day 36喌, divined: The King inspects,喋there will be喌no disaster going forth and coming back喋during expedition喌? [2] Crack-making on xīnchǒu喋day 38喌, divined: The King inspects,喋there will be喌no disaster going forth and coming back喋during expedition喌?

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 36361喌belongs to the diviner Huáng Group喋台㉰

Period 5喌. There are two inscriptions, divined two days apart about the royal inspectional tour. The place name after xǐng喋Ⱝ喌was omitted. 2. The idiom ‘wǎnglái wángzāi’喋ᒬҲύ▩喌was also frequently used in oracle bone inscriptions relating to hunting trips.

443

Piece 109

Practice

36369

36362

1JFDF
 Inspect the Sàng Field

4

3

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_110

445

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

446

OBI

 ᙈ   Transcription Not [inspect] station [right] work qí [rain] king qí inspect Sàng field whole day no disaster not [inspect] Sàng field qí rain today day yǐ king not inspect station right worker qí rain

Reading [1]喋The King will喌not inspect the stationed right work喋brigade喌.喋It喌may rain? [2] The King may inspect the Sàng Field. All day喋there will be喌no disaster. [3]喋The King will喌not inspect the Sàng Field.喋It喌may rain? [4] Today, day of yǐ喋the second cyclical stem喌, the King喋will喌not inspect the stationed right worker喋brigade喌.喋It喌may rain?

Piece 110

447

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 28971喌belongs to the diviner Wúmíng Group喋♍ह㉰ , Period 3喌. There are two parts: The first part喋lines 1 and 4喌is about the King’s inspection of a worker brigade called Yòu Gōng喋ट጑喌
, literally ‘right worker’. The second part喋lines 2 and 3喌is about the King’s inspection tour to the Sàng Field. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋gōng ጑ ‘worker/artisan’喌is equivalent to the modern word gōng喋጑喌
. The term yòu gōng喋ट጑喌literally means ‘the group of workers on the right’, and probably refers to a specialized group of workers. In the Shāng military system, the army was divided into left, middle and right battalion. Apparently the workers were also organized into three units, right, middle, and left. The graph 喋sàng ₘ喌is equivalent to the modern word sàng喋૖喌
. It is used either as a place name or as a verb meaning ‘to lose/to get lost’. The graph 喋méi ⍰喌is used as a loangraph for mí喋ᑸ喌
. Thus, méi rì喋⍰ᬑ喌is equivalent to mí rì喋ᑸᬑ喌
, meaning ‘the whole day’. The graph 喋cì ⡷喌refers to the place where the army is stationed or stays. Here, apparently the organized workers were also stationed at certain places.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

448

Practice

29002

28982

1JFDF
 Today Perambulate at Lè

4

3

2

1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_111

449

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

450

OBI

ᙈ ᙈ ᙈ ᙈ Transcription yǐ sì crack [divine at … ] king hunt … no [disaster catch] rhino twenty and … [king] come attack rén [fāng] bǐng wǔ crack at Shāng divine today day perambulate at Lè no disaster jǐ yǒu crack at Lè divine today day king perambulate at Sàng no disaster [gēng] xū crack at [Sàng] divine today day king perambulate at Zhū no disaster

Reading [1] Crack-making on yǐsì喋day 42喌, at … divined: The King喋will喌hunt at …, no disaster?喋We喌 captured twenty and … rhinos.喋It is the time that喌the King came to attack the Rénfāng. [2] Crack-making on bǐngwǔ喋day 43喌, at Shāng, divined: Today,喋the King will喌perambulate 喋by taking the men-drawn carriage喌to Lè,喋will there be喌no disaster? [3] Crack-making on jǐyǒu喋day 46喌, at Lè, divined: Today, the King喋will喌perambulate喋by taking the carriage喌to Sàng,喋will there be喌no disaster? [4] Crack-making on gēngxū喋day 47喌, at Sàng, divined: Today, the King喋will喌perambulates 喋by taking the carriage喌to Zhū,喋will there be喌no disaster?

Piece 111

451

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 36501喌belongs to the diviner Huáng Group喋台㉰
Period 5喌. This piece belongs to a series of OBI pieces that have enabled scholars to reconstruct the itinerary of the military campaign against the Rénfāng during the tenth regnal year of Dì Xīn喋ፉ䓇喌
, the last emperor of Shāng Dynasty. This particular piece describes the events in the third month of 1100 BCE. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋shāng ੲ喌probably refers to the major capital called DàYì Shāng喋๓䖽ੲ喌
, located at Shāngqiū, Hénán. The graph 喋bù ₑ喌refers to making a trip using niǎn喋䑒喌‘man-drawn carriage’. If we assume that carriage was used as means of transportation and that each day a distance of 30 kms could be covered, then the distance between the places mentioned on this piece can be estimated. The graph 喋lè Ἦ喌is a place name. The graph 喋zhū 喌is a place name.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

452

Practice

36488

36483

36372

1JFDF
 Coming News

1 2

3

4

OBI

        © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_112

453

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

454

Transcription jiǎ wǔ crack Huí divine tomorrow yǐ wèi change day king prognosticate say have disaster bǐng qí have come disaster three day bǐng shēn indeed have come disaster from east Yù report say Ér … jiǎ wǔ crack Què divine Yòu at Qiāng Jiǎ gēng zĭ crack king divine … king prognosticate say qí have come news qí this jiǎ not …

Reading [1] Crack-making on jiǎwǔ喋day 31喌, Huí divined: Next day yǐwèi喋day 32喌changes date. The King prognosticated and said: there will be disaster, coming calamity on the day of bǐngshēn 喋day 33喌. On the third day bǐngshēn 喋day 33喌, indeed calamity came, from the East,喋Lord喌 Yù reported: Ér State …  [2] Crack-making on jiǎwǔ喋day 31喌, Què divined: Perform Yòu-ritual to Qiāng Jiǎ喋K14喌. [3] Crack-making on gēngzĭ喋day 37喌, the King divined: … [4] The King prognosticated: Here it will come news, it will be on jiǎ喋chén喌 喋day 41喌not …

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 01075喌belongs to the diviner Diǎn Bīn Group喋‫ڤ‬䇿䶊 , Period 1喌. There are four lines. The first line, though partially missing, provides us with enough information to reconstruct the sequence of events. The divination is about changing the date for certain activity, but the King portended a bad omen for the chosen date bǐng shēn喋day 33喌, and indeed on that day Lord Yù came to report something about Ér State, probably its invasion of the Shāng settlements. The graph 喋gào ॶ喌was partially missing in the rubbing and not shown in the tracing. The second line is about performing a sacrificial ritual to ancestral King Qiāng Jiǎ喋K14喌. The third line only stated that King Wǔ Dīng did divination, but the charge was not given. The fourth line is a prognostication of the King. He predicted that some news would be forthcoming.

455

Piece 112

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋suì Ἁ喌means ‘disaster caused by evil spirit’. The graph 喋jiān 喌means ‘the event that bore bad omen’. The graph 喋yù ᐻ喌is a personal name. It was also used as place name. The graph 喋ér ‫پ‬喌is the name of a state. The graph 喋wén 㖊喌depicts a person kneeling with a big ear. The graph is equivalent to the modern word wén喋㖊喌‘to listen attentively’. It also means ‘to bring news to’ or ‘to report the news’. Thus the idiom lái wén喋Ҳ㖊喌means ‘there is news coming to be heard or to be reported’.

Practice

07215

06076

1JFDF
 Music Performance 4

3

2

1

OBI

   © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_113

457

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

458

 Transcription wàn would měi perform have zhèng [wàn would] yōng perform have zhèng at Yú hall perform at new room perform

Reading [1] Wàn played the Měi instrument, propitiously received. [2] Wàn played the Yōng instrument, propitiously received. [3]喋The music will be喌played at Yú Hall. [4]喋The music will be喌played at the New Room.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 31022喌belongs to the diviner Wúmíng Group喋♍ह㉰ , Period 3 and 4喌. There are four lines of inscriptions, all about ceremonial music performances. Wàn was the title of court musicians. Wàn musicians were to play the měi喋㒺喌instrument or yōng喋䤊喌 instrument. For each performance there was concern of yǒu zhèng喋ᰵ₏喌
, i.e., how well the music would be received by the audience, probably referring to ancestral spirits or gods. In addition, the inscriptions喋lines 3 and 4喌also ask where the music would be played, either at the Yú Hall or at the Xīn House.

Piece 113

459

2. Graphs and Idioms The graph 喋wàn ̳喌is the title of the court musicians. The graph 喋měi 㒺喌refers to certain kind of musical instrument. The graph 喋zòu ๻喌is equivalent to the modern word zòu喋๻喌‘to perform/to play the instrument’. The graph 喋yōng Ꮴ喌depicts a large bell. It is equivalent to the modern word yōng喋䤊喌‘a large bell, ancient musical instrument’. The graph 喋tīng ᐟ喌refers to some building or architecture. The graph 喋shì ა喌is equivalent to the modern word shì喋ა喌
. We are not sure whether this graph refers to a building or a room. We also do not know the distinction between tīng 喋ᐟ喌and shì
at the time of the Shāng Dynasty. The idiom 喋yǒu zhèng ᰵ₏喌is frequently used in OBI dealing with ceremonial performance. Here, the graph zhèng喋₏喌is equivalent to zhēn喋⺺喌‘auspicious, propitious’, meaning that the presentation will be well received by the audience喋i.e. the ancestral spirits and deities喌.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

460

Practice

31025

31023

31027

1JFDF
 The King Enters the Shāng

6

5

4

3

2

1

OBI

       © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_114

461

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

462

    Transcription [jǐ sì crack Què divine coming seven moon] king into at Shāng [rén shēn crack Què] divine [coming seven moon]king into at Shāng [yǐ hài crack] Què divine coming seven moon king into at [Shāng] wù yín crack Què divine coming seven moon king into at Shāng xīn sì crack Què divine king at coming seven moon into [Shāng] jiǎ shēn crack Què divine king at eight moon into at Shāng

Reading [1] Crack-making on jǐsì喋day 6喌, Què divined: In the coming seventh month, the King enters the Shāng. [2] Crack-making on rénshēn喋day 9喌, Què divined: In the coming seventh month, the King enters the Shāng. [3] Crack-making on yǐhài喋day 12喌, Què divined: In the coming seventh month, the King enters the Shāng. [4] Crack-making on wùyín喋day 15喌, Què divined: In the coming seventh month, the King enters the Shāng. [5] Crack-making on xīnsì喋day 18喌, Què divined: The King will be in the coming seventh month, entering the Shāng. [6] Crack-making on jiǎshēn喋day 21喌, Què divined: The King will be in the eighth month entering the Shāng.

Piece 114

463

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 07780喌belongs to the diviner Bīn Yī Group喋䇿̬䶊
Period 1喌. Both sides of the bone contain inscriptions. In the obverse side there are six lines, all about the King’s entering the Shāng most likely after a long expedition. It is unclear whether the Shāng refers to Shāng capital city, Shāng temple sites, or simply Shāng territory. The divination was carried out over a 15-days period, once every three days, asking in which month the King should enter the Shāng. On the reverse side, there is a one-line inscriptions about dedicating ritual to the deceased Mother Gēng. It reads: Crack-making on…, perform Yòu-, Sháo-, Suì-ritual to Bǐ Gēng喋the deceased Mother Gēng喌. Bǐ Gēng was the wife of Xiǎo Yǐ喋K20喌and the mother of King Wǔ Dīng喋K21喌. 2. The graph  is the protograph of the modern word shāng喋ੲ喌
. It is certain that the Shāng people called their territory ‘Shāng’, so there are bone inscriptions asking whether the Shāng would receive harvest喋Heji 20650喌and such request is sometimes also accompanied by the concern for the harvest of East, West, North and South Land喋Heji 36975喌, indicating that for the Shāng people, their territory was considered to be at the center. In addition to indicating the Shāng territory, Shāng is also the capital of the Shāng, where the Shāng royal ancestral temples were located. In the latter part of the Shāng Dynasty, the capital was in the area of Xiǎotún, close to the modern city of Ānyáng. However, the precise location of Shāng mentioned in OBI has been the subject of scholarly debate, because, in addition to Shāng喋ੲ喌
, there are terms such as Dà Yì Shāng喋๓䖽ੲ喌
, Tiān Yì Shāng喋๕䖽ੲ喌
, Qiū Shāng喋̈́ੲ喌 and Zhōng Shāng喋͙ੲ喌
. Zhōng Bóshēng has suggested that Shāng
refers to modern Ānyáng or Shāngqiū, both in Hénán, depending on the chronological period of OBI. In the time of King Wǔ Dīng喋Period I喌, the place Shāng
was at the site of the modern city Shāngqiū, but in the period of King Dì Xīn喋Period V喌, it could be either Ānyáng or Shāngqiū. On this piece it appears that the King performed divination to determine a good month for returning the Shāng after a certain major expedition, probably a major military campaign or a big hunting trip. 3. The graph 喋shēng ⩋喌depicts a sprout or a bud coming out of the earth, hence the graph is used as a verb meaning ‘to bear/to give birth’ or as an adjective meaning ‘coming to be’. Thus shēng qī yuè喋⩋̯ᰴ喌is understood as ‘the coming seventh month’.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

464

Practice

07777

465

Piece 114

07782

07803

1JFDF
 Banquet at West Temple-Gate

1

2

OBI

  ᕭ    ᅢ    Პ   ᖪ



ᖪ   ⢭

Transcription gēng chén cracked Dà divine coming dīng hài qí Sè Dīng at great hall pray altar west banquet jǐ chǒu [crack …] divine [tomorrow] gēng [yín] Sè Yòu at Mother Gēng five penned-sheep

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_115

467

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

468

Reading [1] Crack-making on gēngchén喋day 17喌, Dà divined: In the coming dīnghài喋day 24喌shall 喋we喌perform Sè-ritual to喋Father喌Dīng and give prayer at the Great Hall, and give a banquet at the west of the Bēng, the temple-gate. [2] Day jǐchǒu喋day 26喌cracked, … divined: Tomorrow, the day of gēngyín喋day 27喌, perform Sè-ritual and喋make sacrificial喌offer to Bǐ Gēng with five penned sheep.

Annotation 1. This piece喋Heji 23340喌belongs to the diviner Chū Group喋‫ܦ‬㉰ , Period 2喌. The two lines of inscriptions appear to be unrelated. The first line is a divination made by diviner Dà喋๓喌 asking about having the Sè-ritual for Father Dīng喋King Wǔ Dīng喌at the Great Room and subsequent ceremonial banquet to be held at the West Wing of the Temple-gate. The second line is about performing a Sè-ritual dedicated to Bǐ Gēng, the mother of King Wǔ Dīng 喋K21喌. 2. Graphs and Idioms The graph Პ喋sè 喌is interpreted as sè喋ඊ喌according to Yú Xǐngwú, meaning ‘to make an animal sacrifice to the deity or ancestral spirit for gaining their favors’. In other words, sè
has the sense of repaying, rewarding or re-compensating by offering animal sacrifice. As a ritual, the content of the Sè-ritual喋喌was probably similar to the Liáo-ritual喋⛺喌.

Piece 115

469

The graph ⢭喋zhěn ི喌depicts a man urinating. Some scholars suggested that this is a pictogram, meaning ‘to urinate’喋niào ᅫ喌. As the graph can be transcribed as zhěn喋ི喌, some scholars considered it to be the protograph of the character zhěn喋⪇喌
. In the annotation of The Book of Rites, Qūlǐ Bȧ⻚㽄eᰞ⻚̷Ȩ 喌, the word zhěn喋⪇喌means ‘to direct prayer and wish to the deity or ancestral spirit’. This interpretation seems more appropriate in the context here. The graph 喋bēng ⹶喌depicts a square, indicating the space inside the temple-gate where the ceremonial altar is located or rituals are held. It also refers to side altar inside ancestral temple. In the Book of Rites, Jiāo tè shēng喋ȧ⻚㽄e䗶➥➞Ȩ

Single victim at the border sacrifices喌
, it mentioned zhù jì yú bēng喋⺉⺙κ⹶

pray and perform sacrificial ceremony at bēng喌. The graph was also used to refer to the accessory喋secondary喌ritual since the ritual was held inside the gate, but outside the main great hall. The graph 喋xiǎng 亃喌depicts two kneeling persons facing a food utensil. The graph is used to refer to the banquet offered to ancestral spirits but consumed by the guests who participate in the sacrificial ceremony. The term dà shì喋๓ა喌
, the Great Hall, refers to a temple-like building, probably with the main gate facing south. This Great Hall served not only religious but also administrative function where the King received officials and visitors. The term yú dà shì zhěn喋κ๓ა⪇喌means ‘to deliver the prayer at the Great Hall’. As recorded in some bronze inscriptions, the King bestowed awards to his ministers in the Great Hall. The term bēng xī喋⹶㺫喌‘to the west of Bēng’ indicates the accessory building or altar situated west to the temple-gate.

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

470

Practice

24247

27648

27650

1JFDF
 The Dīng Personally Attack Shào

449.2

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_116

449.1

471

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

472

OBI

  ᕭ ລ  ൷ 㔗  ኃ ⼒    ᕭ ᙃ 㗠  ລ  ⮮ 
Transcription xīn wèi crack Bó Gē present codex zhī Dīng self attack Shào xīn wèi crack Dīng not qí ally Bó Gē attack Shào


Reading [1] Crack-making on xīnwèi喋day 8喌: Bó喋Marquis喌Gē presented the喋military喌codex, the Dīng himself喋would command troops喌to attack the Shàofāng. [2] Crack-making on xīnwèi喋day 8喌: the Dīng would not ally with Bó喋Marquis喌Gē to attack the Shàofāng.


Annotation 1. This piece喋H3 449喌is from Yīnxū Huāyuánzhuāng Dōngdì Jiǎgǔ喋 ȧ⃣ ෋ 㟝 ా 㢶 Ო ౜ ⩞ 俔Ȩ喌
, a six volume collection of oracle inscriptions from 689 shells and bones discovered at Huāyuánzhuāng, a small village near Xiǎotún, Ānyáng . The two lines of inscriptions喋449.1 and 449.2喌are about King Wǔ Dīng’s military campaign against the Shàofāng. Line 449.1 stated that Marquis Gē or Bó Gē presented喋or recounted喌the Military codex. The second line 449.2 asks about the alliance between King Wǔ Dīng and Bó Gē.

Piece 116

473

2. During a pre-construction archaeological survey, Yáng Xīzhāng, Chinese Archaeology Research Institute of the National Academy of Social Sciences, and his team discovered on October 20, 1991 a storage pit of turtle shells. The site was located at about 100 meters east of Huāyuánzhuāng喋㟝ా㢶喌
. It turns out to be a staggering discovery since among a total of 1558 pieces of turtle shells and 25 bones excavated, 689 pieces contain inscriptions. This was hailed as the third major discovery of OBI, after Xiǎotún Běidì喋ᄻᆛࡃ౜喌H127 pit in 1936 and Xiǎotún Nándì喋ᄻᆛࢃ౜喌in 1973. The corpus of inscriptions was published in 2003 as a six volume-collection called Huāyuánzhuāng Dōngdì Bǔcí喋ȧ㟝ా㢶Ო౜࢈䓙Ȩ喌
. 3. The graph  is transcribed and read as gē喋᜿喌
. It is used as the personal name. The graph ລ is equivalent to the character bó喋ћ喌‘marquis/lord’. Here, the marquis Gē probably refers to the same person Zhĭ Guó喋⇆᜿喌/喋⇆㖉喌as mentioned in other inscriptions喋see Piece 64喌. 4. The graph , transcribed as shào喋࢞喌
, is the name of an enemy state. Based on the similarity in content between H3 449 inscriptions and some of the inscriptions that belong to the diviner Lì Group, Chén Jiàn proposed that the graph here is equivalent to the Shàofāng喋घ᫥喌
.

1JFDF
 Suì Ancestor Zǔ Jiǎ

007.2

007.1

OBI

ㄟ⳪ᒂ  㤥ᓝ㈶ኃ  

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_117

475

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

476

Transcription dīng yǒu suì Zǔ Jiǎ pìn one chàng one Zǐ zhù at Lù huì one sheep at two ancestor use enter from Lù

Reading [1] Day dīngyǒu喋day 34喌:喋We will喌perform the Suì-ritual for Zǔ Jiǎ by presenting one female sheep and one yǒu喋kettle喌of fragrant wine, and Zǐ prayed, at Lù . [2]喋We will have喌only one sheep喋dedicated喌to the two of ancestors喋Zǔ喌.喋We have喌 applied喋this crack as confirmed喌.喋We喌entered from Lù.

Annotation 1. This piece is from Yīnxū Huāyuánzhuāng Dōngdì Jiǎgǔ喋ȧ⃣෋㟝ా㢶Ო౜⩞俔Ȩ喌
, H3 007. The two lines of inscriptions, 007.1 and 007.2, are related to the ceremonial act dedicated to the ancestors of Zǐ, the master of the divination ceremony. The identity of Zǐ has been heatedly debated and discussed without a consensus. It is generally agreed that he has a close, and likely blood, relationship with King Wǔ Dīng. Some scholars suggest that he was the crown prince Xiào Jǐ喋ႉጝ喌, whose untimely death prevented him from becoming the king.


2. The graph 喋chàng 偛喌refers to a special type of wine made with herbs and used for worshiping or ceremonial offering. The wine was kept in bronze vessel called yǒu喋࢏喌
, which has a large mouth, small body, lid and a hoop handle. 3. The graph 喋lù ⛻喌is the name of a place where Zǐ visited frequently.

1JFDF
 Sheep for the Yí-Ritual

142.1

142.2

142.1

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_118

477

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

478

OBI

ḝ⇼ᕭ㗠ㄟⰇⵜᓝ ḝ⇼ᕭ㗠ㄟⰇⵜᓝ Transcription rén chén evening crack qí Yí pìn喋female sheep喌one at Dà agreeable use one rén chén evening crack qí Yí pìn喋female sheep喌one at Dà agreeable use two three

Reading

[142.1] Day rénchén喋day 29喌evening, crack-making:喋We喌would perform Yí-riitual with one female sheep at喋place喌Dà.喋Would it喌be agreeable? As divined. One. [142.2] Day rénchén喋day 29喌evening, crack-making:喋We喌would perform Yí- ritual with one female sheep at喋place喌Dà.喋Would it喌be agreeable? As divined. Two, Three.

Annotation 1. This piece is from Yīnxū Huāyuánzhuāng Dōngdì Jiǎgǔ喋ȧ⃣෋㟝ా㢶Ო౜⩞俔Ȩ喌H3 421. There are only two lines of inscriptions喋421.1 and 421.2喌on this complete plastron. These two lines have identical inscriptions except the crack numbers. For 421.1 the crack number is one, for 421.2 it has two and three. The inscription is about the use of one female sheep for the Yí-ritual at a place called Dà. 2. The graph ⵜ喋ruò 㠑喌is interpreted as shùn喋䴲喌‘to approve/to follow/to permit’, ‘smooth’ or ‘agreeable’. Here, it is used as part of the charge, meaning ‘whether the proposed sacrificial offering is agreeable喋with the spirit喌’. 3. The graph ᓝ喋yòng ⩔喌is used here as ‘yòng cí’喋⩔䓙喌, a term used indicating that the charge would be applied. In other word, as the charge stated, the sacrificial offering in this case was indeed one female sheep.

1JFDF
 The King Chased

OBI

 㗠⾎  ஺ ᙈ Transcription xīn wèi king qí chase Xì rhino no disaster

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_119

479

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

480

Reading On xīnwèi喋day 8喌, If the King chase Xī ungulates,喋there will be喌no disaster.

Annotation 1. Between 1977 and 1979, archeologists from the Shǎnxī Zhōuyuán Archaeology Team discovered over 17,000 broken pieces of shells and bones in two storage pits, H11 and H31, at the Fèngchúcūn, Qíshān County. Among them, 292 shells contain graphs, from one to over thirty. This piece was found in pit H11 and designated as H11:113. The inscriptions are about hunting at the place of Xī , where the King chased rhino. The King mentioned here probably refers to Zhōu Chéng Wáng喋ঔ᜼⢷, 1042—1020 BCE喌. 2. The bone graph is transcribed as shěng喋ᩙ喌‘cornea nebula/disaster’. This graph resembles another bone graph ⻐, which is transcribed as xǐng/shěng喋Ⱝ喌‘to inspect/to examine’. 3. The bone graph

, transcribed as ⊗ , is a place name, possible River Xī喋᝞Ⅰ喌near Líntóng County of Shǎnxī Province.

1JFDF
 To Calm Wind at Four Corners

OBI

᰷∔⦹⠪ᖪ ණἴ⵸⤪ ᕭ Transcription say only calm wind at four fāng three dog three boar finish auspicious this crack use

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3_120

481

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

482

Reading Proclaimed: would sacrifice and provide three dogs and three boars to calm喋and to please喌each Wind of the four cardinal directions. The crack was auspicious. This crack would be used.

Annotation 1. This piece was unearthed from the famous Zhōugōngmiào archeological site喋ঔ‫ژ‬ᐋ䖦౬喌 at Qíshān, Shǎnxī in 2008喋China Wénwù News, 2009喌. The inscription consists of charge, prognostication, and yòng cí喋⩔䓙喌
, depicting a sacrificial presentation of three dogs and three boars to the Wind God of the four cardinal directions in order to ensure peace and calm. The term zī bǔ yòng喋‫⩔࢈ڥ‬喌is considered as a technical term called yòng cí, meaning that the crack shown after divination was used. 2. The sacrificial ceremony termed ‘níng fēng’喋ᄓ䷔喌appears to be a tradition that persisted from Shāng to Zhōu Dynasty, even in terms of number of sacrificial animals used. The continuity of this tradition is striking. The term sì fāng喋ఇ ᫥ 喌refers to four cardinal directions or four corners of the space. 3. The bone graph ∔喋wéi ਜ਼ 喌, which appeared in the Period 5 inscriptions, is equivalent to the bone graph 喋zhuī 䯥喌. The graph ἴ喋zhì ᒄ喌depicts the body of pig with an arrow piercing through. It refers to some kind of pig.

483

Piece 120

Practice

34137

34144

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3

㜖

Ἁ





bǐ

bǐ

bǐ



bǐ bǐng

bǐ gēng

bì

bīn



❲ 

bīn

bīn

ᑈ

⑎

bì

bīn

56, 64, 108

Ȟ

䇿‫ؼ‬ 䇿‫ؼ‬

䇿‫ؼ‬

䇿‫ؼ‬

12, 42, 47

35

to host; to pay homage; a ritual activity, variant of喋᫪喌

79

30, 46

to host; to pay homage; a ritual activity, variant of喋᫪喌 to host; to pay homage; a ritual activity, variant of喋᫪喌

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

35, 43, 56, 81, 85, 89, 90, 105, 106

do not a Period 1 diviner; to host; to pay homage; a ritual activity

74101

to inspect, pacify, to make a punitive expedition against; to arrive at

115

⢢ℂ

30

ࡁ喋໏喌Ꮖ mother of King Wǔ Dīng





55, 60

borderland, frontier settlement to form an alliance

49, 96

99

nose; also see zì喋㜖喌

female ancestor

44, 115

temple-gate ritual or altar

ࡁ喋໏喌ͅ the consort喋queen喌of Dà Yǐ

໏

Ȟ

䙅

呧

⹶

5

25, 29

ࡆ喋൝喌΅ Bào Yǐ, a pre-dynastic king喋PK2喌 north

25, 29

ࡃ

25, 29

61

ࡆ喋൝喌ͅ Bào Bǐng, a pre-dynastic king喋PK3喌

a person’s name

96 4

72

eighty white; also see bó喋ћ喌

11

eight

hundred

56

name of an enemy state

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

ࡆ喋൝喌̭ Bào Dīng, a pre-dynastic king喋PK4喌

㝘

⮪

⮩

‫࡭ڗ‬

‫ڗ‬

ጠ

⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&




᫪

ᆐ







ࡁ





℀

⢂

bí

Ȟ

Ȟ

⠴ 

běi

bēng

bào yǐ







bào bǐng

bào dīng





ᦤ 

bān



‫ڗ‬

Ȟ

䯤
჆
%5



ລ



bā shí

ຎ



bā

bái

Ⳬ

bā

bǎi

⩞俔᪳
0#*

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO

"QQFOEJY

7PDBCVMBSZ
-JTU

485



㔗

ᆂ 





൷ 



cán

cè

chàng

chén

chén

chēng

chēng

chéng



㖈

Ꮤ 

chǒu

chū

cì



⬫









cóng

dà

dà dīng

dà gēng

dà jiǎ

dà wù

cì





chǐ

chì

chén



cái

ᕭ

bǔ

⺹

ລ

bó

ᑄ



bìng

bù



bǐng

bù

⩞俔᪳
0#*

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO









Ȟ

Ϻ

⡷

ᱫ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

խ

❛

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

ᝀ



Ȟ

࢈

⮩

〉

Ȟ

䯤
჆
%5

๓᜶

๓⩞

๓Ꮖ

๓̭

๓

ᓊ

ፗ

Ȟ

‫ܦ‬

̽

䊐

呾

΄

Ȟ

⽝

↵

䓜

㜏

偛

‫ڸ‬

⃄

̹

ₑ

࢈

ћ

͒

ͅ

⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&


8, 9, 10, 12 26, 29 26, 29 26 26

Dà Dīng, an ancestral king喋K2喌 Dà Gēng, an ancestral king喋K5喌 Dà Jiǎ, an ancestral king喋K3喌 Dà Wù, an ancestral king喋K7喌

80

to follow, to pass large, great; name of a diviner

59, 110

45

to station during a military campaign

a personal name

11, 48, 55

1, 16, 20

the second earthly branch to appear, to come out

98 73

56

a person’s name tooth

79

big fire

64

to call, to state喋?喌

43, 89, 91

to submerge, to sink, to drown to declare, to present, to initiate warfare

79 1, 2, 4, 10

minister the fifth earthly branch

50, 116

fragrant wine for ritual use

64

101

to destroy, to damage ceremonial codex

53

4, 6, 9, 12

a ritual in the five-ritual cycle

55, 111

to travel by carriage

2, 3, 4, 5, 6

no, not

a crack; crack-making

58

17

to be next to chief喋lord喌of a state; also see bái喋⮩喌

1, 2, 4, 15

the third heavenly stem

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

486 Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

⮨ м

Ȟ

Ȟ

⹌

Ȟ



ฒ

၃ ⷙ

ⷙ 

⠴

ં 



᧖ ዂ











⮮

ോ 

dàng

dǐ

dì

diǎn

dīng

dōng

duì

dūn

é

ér

èr

èr shí

fā

fá

fán

ණಙ 



⠪ 



fén

fēng

fú

fú

fēi

fāng

fǎn

duō

duì

dì



dàn

‫ڤ‬

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ



Ȟ

ᐫ



Ȟ

Ȟ



ῡ

Ȟ

អ

ヅ

䷔

♆

䲊

᫥

Ȟ

‫܍‬

θ࡭

θ

‫پ‬

Ȟ

ๆ

᪒

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ო

̭

Ȟ

Ȟ

⻄

ፉ

១

㪕

Ȟ

ਊ

છ

ᬒ

૚

๓΅

dān



 

⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&


dà yǐ

䯤
჆
%5

⩞俔᪳
0#*

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO

6

dawn

3, 111 79 18, 42, 45, 47, 51, 52, 56, 61, 64, 65, 89

twenty a person’s name a sacrificialritual that involved beheading of victims, to behead

9, 10, 14, 15, 22, 23, 24 50 100

wind a place name, the name of a state the name of a diviner

73

to burn

14, 15, 67, 68, 100, 111 19

not

side, border, region, state; the name of such a state

101

1, 2, 4, 19, 27, 40, 48, 51

two

a place name

112

the name of a state

84

55

name of a ritual?

27, 84, 93, 108

a place name

10, 82, 84

many

a place name

80 86

a place name a person’s name

1, 2, 3, 18, 25, 26, 40, 45 5, 11, 14, 15, 16, 55, 87, 88, 100, 112

54

records, codex the fourth heavenly stem east

15, 80

a ritual; a variant of dì喋ፉ喌

79 15, 92, 102, 103, 104

to arrive

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

Dì, the Supreme God

100

81

a place name navigation by boat; to travel by boat

26, 30

Dà Yǐ, an ancestral king喋K1喌

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

Appendix 1 Vocabulary List 487



ᙃ 

fú

fú





† ₺

⻱

ේ ᒎ

fù

fù dīng

fù yǐ

gāo

gào

gé

gēng

Ȟ



Ὲ



Ȟ



㖸 

㖸ණ

ㄷ

ඓ 

ᴅ

Ⱡ 





ㄇ

qiáng

gōng喋?喌

gōngfāng

gòng

gòu

gǔ喋?喌

gǔ

guī

guī

guī

guǐ

gòu



Ȟ

Ȟ



Ȟ

‫ڿ‬

᱉

᫥

Ȟ



gōng

gōng

጑

Ȟ



र

Ȟ

Ȟ



45, 46, 47, 52, 67, 91 98

Father Dīng, an ancestor Father Yǐ, an ancestor

Ȟ

₤

哈

Ȟ

俔

Ȟ

䖄

䖄

‫ڝ‬Ӈ

Ȟ

90 108 101

turtle, tortoise a place name; the name of a state

73

a place name to return

70

a place name

51

82

to encounter the name of a Period 1 diviner

9

to encounter

63

55, 57, 62

the Gōngfāng, an enemy state to gather, to supply, to recruit喋soldiers喌

68

55, 57, 61, 62

see gōngfāng喋 ᫥喌 a place name

Ȟ Ȟ

55, 61

74

palace; a place name name of a place or a person

54, 110

workers, the official in charge of construction, to present, to make tribute to

101 1, 7, 11, 18, 25, 26, 31, 42

a place name

11

2, 22, 51, 55, 67, 71, 73, 98, 103, 112

the seventh heavenly stem

to arrive, to come

to report, presentation

36, 52, 91

1, 35, 45, 47, 52, 67, 91

father, paternal uncle

tall, high

22, 49, 97

79

royal consort, woman, lady

2, 35, 56, 57, 70, 92, 103, 104, 106

mound, hill, high place

14, 15

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

not

Fú, name of the Northern Fāng

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

Ȟ

თ

጑䇎

Ꮖ

Ȟ

ᵨ

ॶ

倄

❢΅

❢̭

❢



ྒ

Ȟ

ᑃ

л

⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&


ፆ

䭈

Ȟ

ᄌ

䯤
჆
%5

gōng

gēng

ସ 

fù

fù

⩞俔᪳
0#*

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO

488 Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

⻪ ᕾ

Ȟ

τ



⾟ 

ຕ  

᩵



₉

hài

hài

hǎo

hé

hé

héng

hóu



ഇ 



ᰗ

⥁ 



਷

hū  qiú

hǔ

huà

huán  huí

huáng

huǐ

huì

huì

huì

huà

hú

ᔴ

↲ 

hū

hòu

ᘡ

⊒  

hóng

hé

hài

ห

⃻





⃹ ᘌ

Ȟ

ᮒ

ᗀ

台

Ȟ

ᖱ

Ȟ

⪗

㭺

⟼

Ⅾ

ন㗓

ऺ

ӛ

㮥

⇟

ҁ

ຩ

ϑ

Ȟ

ϑ

㖉

ᐻ

Ȟ

Ȟ

⹷

ͺ

⃿

௿

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

ഥ





䘙‫ښ‬

guó

䘙



‫ښ‬



ᐟ

guō

guō xī

Ȟ

⮤



⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&


guǐ

䯤
჆
%5

⩞俔᪳
0#*

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO

76

a place name

56

11

a copula, a particle; also written as ࣬

12

to regret, equivalent to ‘dark’喋ᮒ喌

40, 60, 61, 79, 104

the darkening of the sky, also see mǔ喋⃹喌

brown, yellow, a person’s name

16, 77, 112

71

a place name the name of a diviner

61, 112

72, 73 73, 83

fox tiger a person’s name

15, 26, 28, 47, 61, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 96

to pray

55, 61, 62, 106, 108

27

to call upon someone喋to do something喌

progenitor, descendant

38

part of a person’s name

60, 108

47, 91, 93

crops; harvest

leader, lord of a statelet

11, 32, 33, 34, 39, 43, 47, 89, 90, 91

river; the Yellow River; an ancestral nature spirit

11

70

a place name

a rainbow

49, 97

Hǎo, a person’s name

79 1, 4, 6, 7, 13, 15, 18, 19

to beg, to pray; harm, damage, detriment

32, 52

a special form of hài喋ϑ喌used only as the name of the predynastic king Wáng Hài喋⢷ϑ喌 the twelfth earthly branch

55, 56, 64

a person’s name

6

6

city wall; also see guōxī喋䘙‫ښ‬喌 afternoon, likely around 4 pm

1, 4, 5, 10, 19, 20

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

the tenth heavenly stem

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

Appendix 1 Vocabulary List 489



ᕟ 

⥌ 



ඵ 

⤪ᕲ

⵭

huì

huǒ

huò

huò  huá

jī

jí

jí

⺹

䰊

✼

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

ግ

⢗ 

⵸







᫔ 

ㄗ ჵ

㜑

೙ 

jǐ

jìtà

jì

jiā

jiā

jiǎ

jiān

jiān jiǎ

jiào

jīn

jīng

jiǔ

jiǎo

jì

Ȟ

 

jǐ

Ȟ

㻾

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ή

Ϙ

϶

Ⴄ᪅

Ȟ

㞝

⩞

䆙

ტ

ᬎ

⺙

ᯔ

19, 93 24, 52, 55, 73, 82, 100

a mound or hill, a place name nine

4, 5, 8, 12, 15, 22, 45, 63, 65, 69, 75, 78, 110, 111

55 56

a person’s name to teach, to raise, to learn now, this, currently

53

Jiān Jiǎ, ancestor king喋K11喌

1, 4, 10, 13, 15, 18, 25, 28

the first heavenly stem

17, 55, 112

96

male pig or boar catastrophe, calamity, disaster

7, 18 41

to finish house, home

53, 58

47, 91

a ritual, may involve bloodletting or blood offering

ೃ

a ritual in the five-ritual cycle, may involve meat presentation

1, 4, 7, 16, 17, 31, 39, 42

the sixth heavenly stem

ጝ

31

98, 99

together, with

67, 68

to take meal, to approach, to arrive at, a ritual of inviting ancestral spirits for meal 32, 46 to reach, to arrive at

ࣶ ⫪

ᝀ⩞

Ȟ

72, 83 2, 17, 53, 54, 58, 72, 76, 88, 97

a place name auspicious

78

55 27, 53, 54, 58, 59, 60, 76, 101

pain in bones喋?喌
, disaster喋?喌 disaster; also see as ⟸ a place name

10, 20, 21, 55, 79, 107

72, 73, 75, 76, 77, 81, 83, 86

disaster, also written as 

17

fire, Antares喋the fire star喌

36, 42, 47, 52, 61, 87, 106, 113

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

to catch, to capture

a copula, a particle, also written as 

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

disease; illness; to suffer from

࢟





Ȟ



Ȟ





jí

Ȟ

व

Ȟ

Ȟ

チ

Ȟ

⺹⡪





⺹

⢞

▗

ᘌ

⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&


⟸

䯧

Ȟ

࣬

䯤
჆
%5

jí

jī

huò

huò

⩞俔᪳
0#*

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO

490 Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

㒨 ⢄





jiǔyǒu

jūchē

jūchē

⤁

⛊ 



᧜

୫

kǎi  wéi

kān  kǎn

lái

lái喋?喌

lán喋?喌

láo

঺

Ȟ

Ȟ

₣



⮊

lè

lěi

lì



Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ



ⵛ





⭵







liè  hāi

lìng

liù

liù shí

lù

lù

lù

mǎ

ᒁ

ኹ



Ȟ

Ȟ

〆

ᦝ

lì

liáo





láo



➎

ᐡ

‫ޓ‬

Ȟ

➋





ᙨ

Ȟ

Ȟ

付

厫

县

Ȟ

‫࡭ڙ‬

‫ڙ‬

А

Ȟ

⛺

Ȟ

⿷

ଵ

Ἦ

Ȟ

➎

‰喋?喌

Ȟ

Ҳ

Ȟ

ⴹ

‫ܝ‬ᓚ

‫ܝ‬

❡

䏶

䏶



Ȟ

Ȟ

⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&


ᄀ

䯤
჆
%5

㡨 

kù





jué

kǎi

jiù

⩞俔᪳
0#*

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO

79 79 101 106

chariot, cart a place name a place name

111 97

a place name auspicious喋birth喌
, good喋newborn male喌

15, 45, 47, 67, 68, 92, 93, 94, 108 35, 54, 55, 72, 76, 79, 101 73 22, 105 83 73, 76 79

to order, to command sixty a person’s name, name of a statelet the foot of a mountain deer horse

14, 15

Liè喋or Hāi?喌
, a name of the Northern Wind six

68 16, 33, 34, 35, 37, 39, 47, 48, 52, 89, 91, 93

the name of a diviner a ritual of burnt offering

23

33, 48

penned ovicaprids喋sheep or goats喌

to stand; to plant喋a flag喌

31, 44, 45, 48, 89, 91, 115

73

penned cattle

fence喋?喌
, some method of catching animals

81

5, 8, 17, 18, 40, 47, 52, 55, 58, 59, 60, 72, 74, 76, 98, 109, 111, 112, 115

to come peacock喋?喌
, eagle喋?喌

43 93

to ritually cut to open up land for farming, to make land ready for planting

14, 15

103

to harm, to bring disasters to chariot, cart

Kǎi喋or Wéi?喌
, a name of the Southern Wind or of the Southern Fāng

7, 18, 25, 27, 42, 46, 47, 48, 52, 90, 91

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

a ritual that may involve wine libation or cutting

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

Appendix 1 Vocabulary List 491









ණ 



mái

mài

mǎo

mào

mào fāng

mèi

㒺

Ȟ



mí

mí

Ȟ

৻

㠈 



miè

miè

mǐn

míng

mǔ Ȟ



ᆡ 

nǎi

nǎi

nán

náo

Ȟ



ല

෼

ní

nì

nián

niǎo

Ȟ

Ȟ



Ȟ





nèi

Ȟ

Ȟ

刑

Ꭰ

䔲

厽

‫ڱ‬

฾

ࢃ

ͯ

ᐨ





mǔ

䔦

➍

Ȟ



⁔

⃹

ᬺ

⯫

Ȟ

㨽

ཕ

ᑸ

厷

๎

mǔ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ



‫ۑ‬





miǎn

⍰

Ȟ





࿆

Ȟ



‫ھ‬᫥

‫ھ‬

࢛

发

㫢

⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&


᫥

გ

Ȟ

Ȟ



䯤
჆
%5

mèng

měi

⩞俔᪳
0#*

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO

71, 87 110 97 37

elk completely to give birth a person’s name

70

bird; suddenly喋?喌

18

2, 15, 81, 88, 89, 90, 92, 94

73, 76

fawn a place name harvest

15

the name of a diviner

79

thus

5, 14, 15, 19, 88

46

35, 36, 90

26, 96

male ovicaprid, ram hence, accordingly south

96

male cattle, bull

Náo, a predynastic ancestor

18 16, 114

morning mother, female

74

a place name

64

47

dream; to dream

an emphatic particle for negative adverbs bù喋̹喌
, wù喋ࠫ喌

113

the Màofāng, an enemy state of the Shāng 79

56

to cover a musical instrument

11

the fourth earthly branch; splitting in half

a person’s name

1 1, 5, 10, 18, 20, 33, 35, 43, 50, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 59, 60

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

wheat

79

to bury, to push close to, to collide?

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

492 Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Ȟ

Ȟ

ⴲ

ᮡ

⭈‫ٳ‬

Ȟ

Ȟ



⽸





⸷

႙ 



㗠

㚤 





㗇

⢦



⥵



୴ 

៺

niú

nǚ

pǐn

pú

qī

qí

qí

qǐ

qǐ

qì

qì

qiān

qiāng

qiāng

qiāng jiǎ

qīn

qín

qín

⻩᧾

Ȟ

↲

qiú

qiúhū

⹷

⟫



qiū Ⅾ

ఆ

⻷㳩

⻩᧾

ӡ

ӡ





ceremonial items

59 2, 5, 6, 7, 9, 12, 13, 15, 17, 18, 19, 22, 23, 28, 31, 35

name of a diviner; a place name a particle, sometimes used to express ‘perhaps’ or to express conditional statements

55 39, 48 63 76

the legendary founder of the Shāng clan, also read qiè thousand a place name

71, 73

to catch喋animals or birds喌

15, 26, 28, 47, 61, 89, 90, 91, 92, 93, 96

79

to die, dead; to keep imprisoned to pray, to beg

91

locusts

78

55

to raid, to invade to catch喋animals or birds喌; also written as 

55

to raid, to invade

53

40, 42, 45, 50, 51, 52, 79, 91, 112

12

see qǐ喋ⴲ喌 until

the Qiāng state, the Qiāng people, the Qiāng victims

7, 12, 105

to become clear, to open up; a person’s name

79

17, 54, 55, 78, 101, 114

seven

to ascend, to advance

55

personal name

108

25

female to mine jade or ore

97

bovine, ox, cow, cattle

24, 91

81

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

19, 28, 31, 33, 35, 43, 52, 67, 84, 85, 89, 91

to pacify, to calm down

evil, calamity

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

喋㒸喌⩞ Qiāng Jiǎ, an ancestral king喋K14喌

㒸

Ȟ

࡯

๽

䓰

ઋ

ઋᮡ

Э

‫ڢ‬

呶

̯

໧

⧊

৭

ຟ

➇

ᄓ

Ⴉ

⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&








Ί⋉



Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

㔕

⏴ 

qīn

qǐ

qī

⦹

níng

஍



niè

䯤
჆
%5

⩞俔᪳
0#*

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO

Appendix 1 Vocabulary List 493



‒



ḝ

⡶⡷

ಙ ੉

ᑔ



ⵜ









Პ ⨿





ᒲ 









quǎn

quē

què

rén

rén

rén fāng

róng

rù

ruò

sān

sān shí

sàng

sè

sè

shāng

shàng

shàng jiǎ

sháo

shè

shēn

shēng

shī

shè

rì

⩞俔᪳
0#*

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO



Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ



Ȟ



Ȟ

Ȟ



૳

Ȟ

ࡱ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

⩋

⩟

ᄰ

㽙

ࠦ

̶⩞

̶

ੲ

ඊ

⽽

૖

̵࡭

̵

㠑

‫ڑ‬

㗈

ᬑ

Ȟ

ῐ

Ϧ᫥

Ϧ

ธ

䯬

Ȟ

⟘

⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&


Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

ⶔ

Ȟ

䯤
჆
%5

1, 4, 6, 20, 25, 29, 41, 55, 69, 76, 84, 85, 114

the ninth heavenly stem; also see réndàn喋ธᬒ喌

7

color喋?喌, partially broken喋?喌

18 42 1, 18, 20, 26, 42, 47, 48, 51 96, 114 18, 51

an omen or sign to shoot; a military title; arrow man, shooter the ninth earthly branch to give birth, to grow; to come to be a method of sacrificing animals

18, 19, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 32, 33, 42, 47, 52, 54, 91, 93

the first pre-dynastic king喋PK1喌

47, 48, 114

101

above, upper

a ritual

88, 101, 111, 114

the Shāng, the Shāng Dynasty, the Shāng capital

115

74, 110, 111

a place name to repay deities or ancestral spirits through sacrifice

3, 45

7, 16, 21, 25, 28, 43, 45, 50

thirty

19, 57, 79, 85, 102

three

4, 22, 48, 79, 114

to enter, to send in to approve, be smooth, be agreeable

27, 46, 52, 54

5, 6, 11, 12, 13, 15, 17, 19

sun, day Róng-ritual, one in the five-ritual cycle

59, 60, 111

the Rénfāng, an enemy state of the Shāng

10, 12, 43, 47, 55, 59, 60, 62, 63, 89, 94, 111

4

Què, a statelet within the Shāng polity

people; also see rénfāng喋Ϧ᫥喌

2, 18, 38, 50, 55, 56, 57, 63, 64, 65, 73, 79, 84, 85, 89, 97, 99, 104, 112, 114

3, 71, 108

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

the name of a Period I diviner

dog, official responsible for royal hunting

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

494 Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

இ 

shī

ა ⹦

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ



ς

ව

⠉

⠉ 

⮸

㠊 ⠉



ጘ 



ฉ 





ㅿ

໥ ዷ

⠜

⮑

஺



shǐ

shǐ

shǐ

shì

shì

shì

shì

shì guǐ

shì rén

shòu

shòu

shǔ

shù

shù

shuài

sì

sì

sì

sì

shuǐ

shì

Ȟ

Ȟ

ጲ

⽃



Ȟ

Ȟ



Ȟ





ञ

㺷

ນᩑ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ



੉

ఇ

‫ځ‬

⹬

ጟ

Ȟ

⢳

Ȟ

᜹

叹

⠕

ः

⹦ธ

⹦⮤

η

㻂

Ȟ

䆁

ҫ

ञ

Ȟ

下ᬑ

下

shí rì

shí

shǐ喋?喌

ⴟ

࡭

ፗ

⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&


Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ⓨ

䯤
჆
%5

ᵈ ᛴ

shí

shí

⩞俔᪳
0#*

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO

6

morning; likely around 8 am

27, 53, 83 74, 77, 78, 79, 111 2, 15, 27, 53, 73, 76

the sixth earthly branch, zǐ喋ၼ喌‘son’, ritual cycle, regnal year rhinoceros four

87

Shuǐ, a place name

1, 4, 10, 17, 18, 22, 31, 48, 53, 54, 55, 56, 59, 60, 78, 79, 88, 91, 96, 101, 111, 114

26, 39

all, in all cases, generally, a place name

104

70

to guard, to station, to garrison a kind of ritual

2, 89, 95

29

Shì Rén, an ancestor

millet

29

Shì Guǐ, an ancestor

73, 80

22, 25, 26, 28, 55, 84

spirit tablet, to ritually prepare scapula and plastron

2, 35, 36, 38, 56, 57, 63, 81, 88, 89, 93, 94

113, 115

a chamber or self-standing structure

to hunt

105, 106, 108

affairs, matters; also see shǐ喋ञ喌

to receive

62

to inspect, to watch

30, 104

16, 24, 39

spouse, royal spousal

43

pig

107

a delegate; to send a delegate; to cause to happen

minister, also see shǐ喋ञ喌and shì喋ञ喌

7

1, 6, 19, 20, 21

to eat, eclipse; also see shírì喋下ᬑ喌 to break up, to dissipate喋?喌

55

3, 22, 25, 26, 28, 33, 55, 60

ten stone, rock, place name

61, 66, 69

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

military unit or division; army; general or commander

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

Appendix 1 Vocabulary List 495

Ȟ



sù

sù喋?喌

suì Ȟ Ȟ

⢗ 



ઍ

tā

tàjì

táng

téng

tián

ರණ

ᚽ 





ᅂ

ᙈ

⽢

ས 

৾

tǔ

tǔ fāng

tún

wàn

wàn

wáng

wáng

wǎng

wàng

wéi

wēi

tún



ද

tīng

䯥

Ȟ

ᔓ



Ȟ

Ȟ

̳

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ



Ȟ

᡹

Ȟ



ᘋਜ਼

࢝

᱇

ᒬ

ύ

⢷

Ȟ

㥘

ᆛ

䆆

ో᫥

ో

ᐟ

⩜

Ȟ

਼

ᯔ

₞



Ȟ

ᜐ

sǔn

suì

⾄

⺋

Ȟ

㇋

ఇ࡭

⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&


⠨ ㆏ 

Ἁ

፲

ࡸ



sì shí

䯤
჆
%5



⩞俔᪳
0#*

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO

39, 55, 63, 64, 65, 88

113

a title of a court musician

56 56, 89 7, 18, 19, 27, 53, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 83, 97, 98, 99, 104, 112

to reconnoiter, to scout, name of a sta

copula, particle

61, 72, 74, 76, 78, 80, 81, 84, 85, 95, 106, 109

to go to, towards

the Xiàwēi喋̷࢝喌state, also called the Wēifāng喋࢝᫥喌

8, 10, 20, 21, 23, 27, 30, 35, 53, 54, 55, 58, 59, 60, 62, 69, 71, 72, 74, 76, 79, 81, 87, 101, 107, 109, 110, 111

no, not, do not have

2, 4, 7, 11, 18, 23, 27, 30

86

ten thousand king

3 84

suckling pig one pair喋of bovine scapulae喌

55, 63, 64, 65

79, 113

hall land, territory, a pre-dynastic ancestor the Tǔfāng, an enemy state of the Shāng

12, 39, 55, 72, 74, 76, 81, 82, 87, 93, 94, 110, 111

42, 91

a field, to hunt

a person’s name

34

27, 35, 98, 99

harm, curse, to harm Táng, Dà Yǐ喋K1喌

91

a high ancestor or spirit 31

31, 35, 45, 48, 88, 114

together, with

11, 17, 18, 55, 79, 112

year, a ritual, to cut, pierce, or split

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

harm, curse, evil omen

83

47

millet, to plant millet striped喋?喌

73

forty

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

496 Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

∉ 



↱







wén

wǒ

wū

wǔ

wǔ

wǔ

wǔ喋?喌

π࡯ π࡭

Ȟ





⪊





ୈ



ᛛ

ᄁ ଆ





wǔ

wǔ qiān

wǔ shí

wù

wù

xī喋?喌

xī

xī

xī

xī

xī

ₒ΅

⹷

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ



᱉

Ȟ

Ȟ

ຆ

แ

㺫

᲼

ᭀ

Ȟ

ࠫ

᜶

π

ₒ̭





wǔ yǐ

wǔ dīng



Ȟ



㝊

Ȟ

ࡴ

጗

ⶖ

᜽

㖊

᱖

䳷

䳷

⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&




Ȟ



Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

⹊

⹊

䯤
჆
%5

༽

wǒ





wèi



wéi

wéi

⩞俔᪳
0#*

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO

3, 10, 33, 52, 55, 63, 64, 67, 70, 79, 101, 108, 115 62 3, 4, 22, 73, 91 1, 22, 47, 71, 73, 74, 76, 78, 79, 81, 82, 90, 93, 103

five five thousand fifty the fifth heavenly stem

5, 14, 15, 55, 81, 87, 88, 93, 107, 115 7, 10, 15, 17, 20, 21, 22, 55, 69, 75 108

night, evening; also see yuè喋ᰴ喌 the name of a diviner

14, 15

50

25

west; a place name喋?喌

Xī, a name of the Eastern Fāng

past, former times

a bundle

34, 49, 56, 57, 61, 62, 64, 80, 84, 85, 92, 95, 108

44

negative adverb; do not

44

Wǔ Yǐ, an ancestral king喋K26喌 Wǔ Dīng, an ancestral king喋K21喌

74, 87 104

a place name to dance; a dance ceremony

22, 84

1, 18, 29, 42, 53, 54, 62, 69, 73, 79, 90, 106, 111, 112

the seventh earthly branch

application of vermilion

24

2, 38, 57, 73, 89, 104 79

we, I, our, the statelet or clan Wǒ,a place name big rocks the Wū power or spirit

22, 62, 112

106 1, 21, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31

a personal name the eighth earthly branch to hear, to be informed

14

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

Wéi, a name of the Western Fāng

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

Appendix 1 Vocabulary List 497

̷࢝ ৤



Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

⩃

Ȟ

㇌

⢥

પ

ෂ પ

⽋

ṑ ᰴ



xǐ

xià

xià shàng

xián

xiàn喋?喌

xiàn



⤘

ᑣ 

xiàng

xiàng

xiǎo

Ȟ

䓇 ᫜

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

ᭀ 



xīn喋?喌

xīng

྅

௲ ᑿ



xū

xuán

xún

xún



⫝

xǐng

xiōng

xīn



ᬘ

ㆮ

Ȟ

Ȟ



ᓖ

Ȟ

᫷

᜸

ٰ

Ⱝ

ᭋ

Ȟ

ߒ



↶

ߒ

ᄻ⩞

Ȟ

௚ऽ

ऽ

䆍

亃

⢧

䮣喋?喌

̷̶

̷

ᓅ

xīn

xié



‫ښ‬ ૈ

෈ 



ᄻ

⢗

Ȟ

Ȟ



Ȟ

Ȟ

xié

xiǎo jiǎ





xiǎng

xiàng

xià wēi

xī

Ȟ

xǐ



໰ ᐟ

⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&


xī

䯤
჆
%5

⩞俔᪳
0#*

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO

115 75 101

meal offered to the spirits elephant a place name

4, 10, 20, 21, 53, 54, 55, 58 56, 61, 65

the ten-day week to make inspection tour, to cause to obey or comply

50

1, 11, 13, 22, 29, 42, 53, 74

the eleventh earthly branch a person’s name

31

elder brother

84, 95, 109, 110

17, 113

new

to inspect, to visit, to examine

1, 4, 6, 8, 12, 15, 18, 24, 26

the eighth heavenly stem

17, 18

36

Xié-ritual, variant of 

star, equivalent to qíng喋ᮠ喌‘clear sky’

14, 15, 42, 46, 53, 83, 94

Xié-ritual, name of the Eastern Wind, to plow together

60

25, 53

Xiǎo Jiǎ, an ancestral king喋K6喌

Xīn喋?喌
, a place name

22, 28, 48, 58, 79, 98

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

small, lesser

10, 55

90

to present, to give

the time when one day cleaves to the next, midnight

78

18

completion, to complete to trap or capture

56, 89

the Xiàwēi state, an enemy group of the Shāng

18, 56, 89

below, lower 57

81

crop rotation below and above, earth and heaven

60

6, 19, 47

82

a personal name

an ancestor, a ceremonial structure; also see guōxī喋䘙‫ښ‬喌

a place name

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

498 Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Ȟ

Ȟ

㎱ 







yán

yáng

yáng jiǎ

yī

Ȟ

Ȟ

⫓ 



ᔁ

ⳟ

ಶ

⮀

᜞

ᔺ 

੉

⮥

❈

ᨩ 

⻪ 

yí

yǐ

yǐ

yì

yì

yì

yì

yì

yì rì

yīn

yín

yǐn

yǐn

yíng

yǐn

yì

yí

⡾

yí

̬

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

⟚

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ



Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

⼔

Ȟ



ᒉ

๣

ж



⧫

yī

Ȟ



Ⅿ

Ȟ

yī

yāng



yán





yán

䯤
჆
%5

⩞俔᪳
0#*

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO

3, 28, 43 53, 54 27 1, 15, 31, 52, 73, 76, 79, 94

sheep, goat, ovicaprid Yáng Jiǎ, an ancestral king喋K17喌 Yī-ritual one

13, 23, 78, 99, 112

to change, see yìrì喋ᬿᬑ喌

䈻

ᑁᑄ

ᅥ

丞

ჱ

ఌ

53, 58, 72, 97 93

a place name

19, 40, 41, 45, 48, 61, 93

extended; extremely

11, 55

to drink; a person’s name

1, 4, 15, 18, 30, 44, 47, 52

the third earthly branch to administer, an official title for a minister

14

Yīn喋?喌
, a name of the Southern Fāng

13, 23, 78, 99, 112

105

next, tomorrow, a ritual in five-ritual cycle to pour, to add

4, 11, 18, 55, 79 6, 7, 13, 16, 18, 29, 30, 46, 54, 62, 73, 81, 85, 90, 99, 104, 112

also

79

bad omen, illness, catastrophe

42, 91

to apply, to use

55, 102, 103, 104

1, 4, 10, 13, 18, 19, 21, 25

the second heavenly stem city, settlement, township

14, 15 48, 79, 89, 91

Yí, a name of the Western Wind or of Fāng

15

a ritual, displaying meat on cutting board

Yí, a name of the Southern Wind

19, 41, 48

79, 84

a person’s name

a personal name

85

58

a person’s name

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

to continue, to extend, to delay

55

a place name

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

ᬿᬑ  ᮥᬑ to become cloudy, to change the date of a ritual

ᬿᮥ

⯶

㓸

ϒ

⫗

䖽

Б

΅

჈

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

㶏

䮩⩞

㒶

๚

ᐢ

►

Ȟ

⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&


Appendix 1 Vocabulary List 499

⧭





ゝ



yóu

yǒu

yǒu

yǒu

ࣴ

ࣴ

ᖀ

ᖀ

ᖀ 







yòu

yòu

yòu

yòu

yòu

yòu



ᖪ

ᶋ

ᶋಙ ච 

yú

yú

yú

yú fāng

yú





yòu

yòu

yòu



yǒu

傆

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

㝱

Ȟ



ࣴ

ࣴ







ࣴ



ᖀ

yǒu

Ȟ

ㄻ

ᛐ

yǒu

yǒu





Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

yōu

yòng

Ȟ

஗l ᓝ

yǒng

䯤
჆
%5

Ȟ

⩞俔᪳
0#*

yōng

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO

Ȟ

⯮᫥

⯮

κ

Ԋ

Ꭸ

Ȟ

ѽ⹼

ҽ

ट

Ȟ

ѽ⹼

ҽ

ࣴ

ᰵ

ᰵ

ࣷ

䙵

Ȟ

Ȟ

ंἝ

ᅐ

ᩤ

⩔

Ⅴ

Ꮴ䤊

⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&


55 101 1, 3, 4, 19, 20, 21, 24, 26, 37

part of a place name the tenth earthly branch

58 86

fish

58, 113

8, 11, 15, 16, 18, 19, 27, 28

the Yúfāng, an enemy state of the Shāng

a place name, see Yúfāng喋⯮᫥喌

to, at, in

79

an interjection, an exclamation

35, 36, 56, 57, 63, 89

blessing, see yǒu喋ࣴ喌
, yǒu喋喌
, yòu喋喌

76

19, 31, 41, 45, 47, 48, 52, 66

a ritual of offering, see yǒu喋ࣴ喌
, yǒu喋喌
, yòu喋喌

54

66, 110

right, the right side, see yǒu喋ࣴ喌
, yǒu喋喌
, yòu喋喌

a place name

28, 60, 72, 111

also, again; see yǒu喋ࣴ喌
, yǒu喋喌
, yòu喋喌

a ritual

38

18, 34, 35, 38, 40, 61, 62, 85, 92, 112, 114, 115

blessing, see yǒu喋喌
, yǒu喋ࣴ喌
, yòu喋ࣴ喌

a ritual or offering, see yǒu喋喌
, yǒu喋ࣴ喌
, yòu喋ࣴ喌

97

8, 19, 47, 113

to have, abundant, see yòu喋ࣴ喌
, yǒu喋喌
, and yòu喋喌 also, again, see yǒu喋喌
, yǒu喋ࣴ喌
, yòu喋ࣴ喌

2, 11, 17, 18, 20, 21, 55, 56, 63, 73, 79, 81, 89, 99, 107, 112

to have, abundant, see yòu喋喌
, yǒu喋ࣴ喌
, and yòu喋ࣴ喌

55, 73

43

a ritual of wood burning the name of a statelet or tribe

a pair, equivalent to yòu喋ҽ or ѽ  ⹼喌
, a personal name

60 30

blame, regret, disaster

36, 42, 44, 45, 47, 66, 91

7, 22, 60

113

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

the name of a state

to use

the name of a diviner; a place name

a large bell

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

500 Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

‫٭‬ ▩

Ȟ



එ

⩪





 



ᒂ   

 

༗

zāi

zāi

zāi

zāi

zài

zài

zǎo喋?喌

Ⱈ

⇓  



ዦ ዦ

 

⢭



zè

zhān

zhān

zhǎng

zhào

zhào fāng

zhēn

zhěn

zhèn

yǔn

ម

ི

吺

Ȟ

Ȟ

䰳

⪇

䇊

घ᫥

घ

䪣

ࢌ

⩆

Ȟ

ࢌ

ᬯ

ᬕ喋?喌

䐵

౔

Ȟ

▩

▩

⩆

Ȟ

䕌喋?喌

⩪

᝹



䰞

ᇟ

ν

⣉ 

ᰜ

yuè

yuè

Ȟ

Ȟ ᓍ⻒

yún

 Ა

yuē

♼

ⓐ

ᰴ

ⶡ 

yù

䰔

Ȟ



yù

Ȟ

␭



┆

yǔ

傆

⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&


᜽ 

ච 

yú

䯤
჆
%5

 

⩞俔᪳
0#*

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO

55

79

to drive, see zài喋⩪喌

53, 54, 76, 88 55

to prognosticate after reading the cracks a person’s name or place name

2, 4, 7, 10, 13, 15, 16, 18 115 69

to pray to a deity and ancestral spirit quake, turmoil, commotion

67, 68

to divine

the Shàofāng, an enemy state of the Shāng

67, 68

2, 4, 7, 11, 18, 55, 77, 79, 97, 112

see Shàofāng喋घ᫥喌

11

to prognosticate after reading the cracks

63, 65

afternoon

morning or before dawn喋?喌

105, 106, 107, 108

72, 74, 76, 81, 109, 111

disaster, calamity, damage

to perform, to carry out; also see zāi喋⩪喌

71, 87, 110

disaster, calamity, damage

at, in

35, 55

disaster; to injure, kill, defeat

10, 27, 53, 54, 58, 59, 60, 71, 76, 78, 79, 82, 83, 101, 111

55, 73, 75, 77, 78, 81, 112

indeed; as expected

39, 41, 43, 84, 90, 91, 92

Yuè, a pre-dynastic ancestor

7, 11, 97

1, 2, 4, 10, 15, 19, 20, 21

moon, month cloud

1, 2, 4, 7, 11, 14, 15, 18, 53, 54, 55, 76, 77, 79, 88, 94, 97, 112

to say, to proclaim

49, 50, 55, 72, 76, 82

to take prisoner, to imprison to exorcise, exorcism, to defend, to be applicable

4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 15, 18, 26, 48, 75, 82, 85, 92, 98, 104, 110

85

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

rain, to rain

to fish

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

Appendix 1 Vocabulary List 501



Ȟ





⼛



⻙

ᛕ 



⻭

zhēng

zhēng

zhēng

zhèng

zhī

zhí

zhǐ

zhǐ

zhǐ

ᵺ喋?喌





㜬

zhì喋?喌

zhì

zhōng

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

〭



〭੉

⦨⦲



zhōng

zhōng dīng

zhōng rì

zhòng

zhōu喋?喌

吩

Ȟ

༺

⾎

⳪ ⹙

எ

zhū

zhú

zhù

zhuī

Ȟ





ඥ

zhū喋?喌

Ȟ



ۘ



㜟

Ȟ

䯵



zhì

ᬔ

䔩

⺉

䔼

吰

Ȟ

ঔ

ⱪ

͙ᬑ

͙̭

͙

㉮

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ





⇆

Ȟ

吥

ണ

ͷ

₏

ᒭ

ᒭ

Ȟ

ᓡ

zhǐ

Ȟ

⣪

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

₏

₏

⮧

Ȟ

⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&


zhì

zhēng

ε

ⓐ 

zhēng

䯤
჆
%5

⩞俔᪳
0#*

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO 62, 89 1, 19, 60

to supply, recruit, or raise喋troops喌 the first month, a proper name

113

7, 36 67, 68

to pray; the name of a ritual to pursue, to chase

70, 77, 78, 79, 81, 87

22, 84

cinnabar, vermilion喋?喌 to chase喋animals喌
, to pursue, a place name

111

a place name

108

56, 94

a place name, ore, mine喋?喌

multitudes, commoners, farmers, soldiers

26 6

6, 23, 66, 71, 79

middle, flag, gnomon, a personal name Zhōng Dīng, an ancestral king喋K11喌 noon

55, 104

79

shackles, fetters to end, to terminate

70

to display or review喋troops喌

6, 8, 27, 47, 55, 91

55

until, to arrive at

106, 107

a personal name

55, 56, 64, 81, 84

a place name

a personal name, a place name

101

70

a place name a place name

10

fetters; to capture

7, 73, 75, 81

presentation, auspicious this

55

to invade, to take a military campaign against

to invade, to take a military campaign against see zhēng喋₏喌
, zú ₏喋䋟喌
, zhēng 57, 58, 59, 60, 63, 101, 111 喋ᒭ喌
, and zhèng喋₏喌

4, 10, 18, 21, 22, 103, 107

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

the name of a period I diviner

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

502 Reading of Shāng Inscriptions





ᘬ

⠜ 



వ

⧷





㉙

 











თ 

zhuì

zī

zǐ

zǐ

zì

zōng

zōu

zòu

zú

zú

zǔ

zǔ dīng

zǔ jiǎ

zǔ xīn

zǔ yǐ

zuǒ

zuò

͹

ᯏ









̀



₏

Ȟ



Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

Ȟ

ᕻ

䭋

䯤
჆
%5

҈

ጒ

⺂΅

⺂䓇

⺂⩞

⺂̭

⺂

᫻

䋟

๻

ᣗ例

Ⴣ

㜖

ၼ

ၼ

‫ڥ‬

෈

⤪Џ⑎ႃ
.&


18, 25, 36, 39, 50, 52, 62, 85, 91, 92 26, 36 53 26 26, 36 66 56, 66, 93, 102

ancestor Zǔ Dīng, an ancestral king喋K15喌 Zǔ Jiǎ, an ancestral king喋K23喌 Zǔ Xīn, an ancestral king喋K13喌 Zǔ Yǐ, an ancestral king喋K12喌 left, the left side to make, to establish

92

bountiful; also see zhēng喋₏喌

67, 68, 70, 108

113

to perform or play喋a musical instrument喌

clan or clan group, also written as 

10

sudden, rush, outburst

b

44

5, 8, 11, 26, 27, 28, 42, 47, 55, 87, 91, 93, 112

from, also see bí喋㜖喌 ancestral temple

61, 79, 84, 108

child, prince

1, 7, 23, 29, 41, 42, 44, 45

the first earthly branch, not used for word zǐ喋ၼ喌‘son’

79

᱘ᰤ❳㮋
1JFDF
/VNCFS

7, 44, 45, 66, 72, 76, 79, 82, 103, 104

㼏

䛷
"OOPUBUJPO

this

to fall

OBI: oracle bone inscription; DT: direct transcription; ME: modern equivalent. Question mark indicates that the assigned reading or interpretation is tentative. c For the commonly used OBI喋e.g. gānzhī, number etc喌
, we only cite the first few pieces.

a

⩞俔᪳
0#*

ᠨ
䴟
QJOZJO

Appendix 1 Vocabulary List 503

"QQFOEJY

3FGFSFODFT
BOE
#JCMJPHSBQIZ 
㦃䡞 䘙⇗㠑ͧ㌔ȟ㘍ࣆ჏㍩㌔䑛喏ȧ⩞俔᪳ऴ䯲Ȩ喏13 ‫ڸ‬喏͙㤛ᰤᅬ喏1979ÿ1982Ƞ ͙ష⹪ᰯ⻽Ⴄ䮎㔯ऐⵀ⾢ᝬ㌔㦃喏 ȧᄻᆛࢃ౜⩞俔Ȩ 喏̶喋θܲ‫ڸ‬喌̷喋̵ܲ‫ڸ‬喌‫ڕ‬ ‫ڸ‬喏͙㤛ᰤᅬ喏1980ÿ1983Ƞ ͙ష⹪ᰯ⻽Ⴄ䮎㔯ऐⵀ⾢ᝬ㌔㦃喏ȧ⃣෋㟝ా㢶Ო౜⩞俔Ȩ喏6 ‫ڸ‬喏䰞ࢃϦℽ‫⹪❴ܦ‬喏 2003Ƞ ᰥ⥷㌔㦃喏ȧঔ࣋⩞俔᪳Ȩ喏͂⩸ూᰤ‫ژ❴ܦ‬त喏2002Ƞ ᒙ䗒◛ȟ䁉┋ȟ付ႏ‫܍‬㌔㦃喏ȧ⩞俔᪳ऴ䯲㸈㌔Ȩ喏㿊᪳‫⹪❴ܦ‬喏1999Ƞ 㘍ࣆ჏ȟ⢷Ⴛȟ㘍ᡛႳ㌔喏ȧ⩞俔㎸ႄ㸈㌔Ȩ喏๕≑ऐㅹ‫⹪❴ܦ‬喏1996Ƞ ᱺႤࠐȟ呶᪳ᓯȟ㞪㭙喏ȧ㠝షᝬ㫻⩞俔䯲Ȩ喏̶㌔喋̶ȟ̷‫ڸ‬喌喏͙㤛ᰤᅬ喏1985喞 ̷㌔喋̶ȟ̷‫ڸ‬喌喏͙㤛ᰤᅬ喏1991Ƞ


ႃ‫ڤ‬䓙ᰤ κⰭ४ͧ㌔喏ȧ⩞俔᪳ႃ㽭᳃Ȩ喏͙㤛ᰤᅬ喏1996Ƞ ᒼ͙㜾ͧ㌔喏ȧ⩞俔᪳ႃ‫ڤ‬Ȩ喏ఇጉ䓙ᰤ‫⹪❴ܦ‬喏1988Ƞ ᱺႉ჆㌔䔜喏ȧ⩞俔᪳ႃ䯲䛷Ȩ喏Ą͙๚ⵀ⾢䮎ą₣ञ㿊㼬ⵀ⾢ᝬᄴܶͷπ࡭喏1965Ƞ ႋ͂‫ܝ‬喏ȧ⩞俔Ⴄᄻ䓙‫ڤ‬Ȩ喏̶⊣䓙ᰤ‫⹪❴ܦ‬喏1987Ƞ 䋅㿌喏ȧ⩞俔᪳ㅍᬺ㾊‫ڤ‬ÿÿ࢈䓙ܲ䶊䂬᱘Ȩ喏͙㤛ᰤᅬ喏1990Ƞ ቀᕾᬳ喏ȧㅍᬺ⩞俔᪳㾊‫ڤ‬Ȩ喏Ⴕᓩ᪅㗞‫⹪❴ܦ‬喏1992Ƞ Ṷ䗭ᒒ喏ȧ⩞俔᪳ऴ䯲ܲ㉰ܲ䶊㍩㶔Ȩ喏㬉᪳࢜ᰤ乔喏2005Ƞ


ᄴ㦃㜳䀂᪳ 䮟๎ტ喏ȧ⃣෋࢈䓙㋈䔜Ȩ喏͙㤛ᰤᅬ喏1988Ƞ 䘙⇗㠑 ,ȧ࢈䓙䕆㎮Ȩ喏⻽Ⴄ‫⹪❴ܦ‬喏1983Ƞ ᳃Ⓖ喏ȧ᳃ⒼႤ㵿᪳䯲Ȩ喏͙ష๓⮪⻽‫ڔ‬ᰤ‫⹪❴ܦ‬喏1998Ƞ ޵⎼喏ȧੲঔ⺙⺂⻚ⵀ⾢Ȩ喏ੲࠅ࢜ᰤ乔喏2004Ƞ 㸄䡗ౙ ,ȧऐ᪳ႃ䀂䯲Ȩ喏͙㤛ᰤᅬ喏1992Ƞ ਼㭙喏ȧ⃣෋᪳ႃ㽄Ȩ喏͙㤛ᰤᅬ喏1981Ƞ κⰭ४喏ȧ⩞俔᪳ႃ䛷᳃Ȩ喏͙㤛ᰤᅬ喏1979Ƞ © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3

505

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

506

ᑡ⻵‶喏ȧ⩞俔᪳㜳⩞俔ႤȨ喏Ąష⿷ą㌔䂛乔喏1988Ƞ 䢪᳻⩋喏ȧ⃣ੲ࢈䓙౜⤲䀂ऎȨ喏㬉᪳࢜ᰤ乔喏1989Ƞ ፤⢵㟉喏ȧੲЏ䕝⺙‫ݢ‬ᏒȨ喏㌆㸉ᰤᅬ喏2009Ƞ Ⴗ䣚䆖ȟ޵⎼喏ȧ⩞俔Ⴄ⃣ੲञⵀ⾢Ȩ喏⺻ᐦϦℽ‫⹪❴ܦ‬喏2006Ƞ 付ຮḚ喏ȧ⃣෋⩞俔᪳ᑁ䀂Ȩ喏Ოࡃፗヰ๓Ⴄ‫⹪❴ܦ‬喏1993Ƞ


㠝᪳ David N. Keightley: The Ancestral Landscape—Time, Space, and Community in Late Shāng, Institute of East Asian Studies, University of California, Berkeley, 2000, p. 209. Sources of Shāng History, The Oracle-Bone Inscriptions of Bronze Age China, University of California, Berkeley, 1978, p. 281. Ken-ichi Takashima: Studies of Fascicle Three of Inscriptions from the Yīn Ruins, Academia Sinica, Volume I喋with Paul L-M Serruys喌, Volume II, 2010.

"QQFOEJY
 Gānzhī Table 1 ⩞ၼ jiǎzǐ 1

΅̽ yǐchǒu 2

ͅჱ bǐngyín 3

̭࢛ dīngmǎo 4

᜶䓜 wùchén 5

ጝጟ jǐsì 6

Ꮖࡴ gēngwǔ 7

䓇᱖ xīnwèi 8

ธ⩟ rénshēn 9

⮤䙵 guǐyǒu 10

⩞᜸ jiǎxū 11

΅ϑ yǐhài 12

ͅၼ bǐngzǐ 13

̭̽ dīngchǒu 14

᜶ჱ wùyín 15

ጝ࢛ jǐmǎo 16

Ꮖ䓜 gēngchén 17

䓇ጟ xīnsì 18

ธࡴ rénwǔ 19

⮤᱖ guǐwèi 20

⩞⩟ jiǎshēn 21

΅䙵 yǐyǒu 22

ͅ᜸ bǐngxū 23

̭ϑ dīnghài 24

᜶ၼ wùzǐ 25

ጝ̽ jǐchǒu 26

Ꮖჱ gēngyín 27

䓇࢛ xīnmǎo 28

ธ䓜 rénchén 29

⮤ጟ guǐsì 30

⩞ࡴ Jiǎwǔ 31

΅᱖ yǐwèi 32

ͅ⩟ bǐngshēn 33

̭䙵 dīngyǒu 34

᜶᜸ wùxū 35

ጝϑ jǐhài 36

Ꮖၼ gēngzǐ 37

䓇̽ xīnchǒu 38

ธჱ rényín 39

⮤࢛ guǐmǎo 40

⩞䓜 jiǎchén 41

΅ጟ yǐsì 42

ͅࡴ bǐngwǔ 43

̭᱖ dīngwèi 44

᜶⩟ wùshēn 45

ጝ䙵 jǐyǒu 46

Ꮖ᜸ gēngxū 47

䓇ϑ xīnhài 48

ธၼ rénzǐ 49

⮤̽ guǐchǒu 50

⩞ჱ jiǎyín 51

΅࢛ yǐmǎo 52

ͅ䓜 bǐngchén 53

̭ጟ dīngsì 54

᜶ࡴ wùwǔ 55

ጝ᱖ jǐwèi 56

Ꮖ⩟ gēngshēn 57

䓇䙵 xīnyǒu 58

ธ᜸ rénxū 59

⮤ϑ guǐhài 60

Gānzhī Table 2 ⩞ jiǎ ၼ zǐ

1

̽ chǒu ჱ yín

31

⩟ shēn

32 21

䙵 yǒu ᜸ xū ϑ hài

43 44 33 22

11

23 12

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3

8

46

20 9

58 47

36

30 19

57

35 24

29

7

45

40

18

56

34

39

17

55

50

28

6

⮤ guǐ

49

27

5

ธ rén

38

16

54

䓇 xīn

37

15

53

Ꮖ gēng

26

4

42

ጝ jǐ

25

3

41

᜶ wù

14

52

᱖ wèi

̭ dīng

13

51

ጟ sì ࡴ wǔ

ͅ bǐng

2

࢛ mǎo 䓜 chén

΅ yǐ

10 59

48

60

507

"QQFOEJY


The Royal Genealogy from OBI

The table is the king list喋royal genealogy喌based on oracle bone inscriptions. The abbreviation ‘PK’ refers to pre-dynastic kings; ‘K’ refers to dynastic kings. The numbers indicate the order of enthronement. The vertical arrow refers to direct lineal relationship. © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3

509

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

510

The Royal Genealogy from the Shĭjì

The table is the king list喋royal genealogy喌based on the Annals of Yīn, Shĭjì.

"QQFOEJY
 Sequence of the Five-Ritual Cycle ᎞ 喋stem喌 ⩞ jiǎ

΅ yǐ

ͅ bǐng

̭ dīng

̶⩞ Shàng Jiǎ

൝΅ Bào Yǐ

൝ͅ ൝̭ Bào Bǐng Bào Dīng

๓΅ Dà Yǐ

๓̭ Dà Dīng

᜶ wù

ጝ jǐ

Ꮖ gēng

䓇 xīn

ธ rén

⮤ guǐ

⹦ธ Shì Rén

⹦⮤ Shì Guǐ

ᬘᎻ 喋week喌 1 2 3

๓⩞ Dà Jiǎ

4

ᄻ⩞ Xiǎo Jiǎ

࢈ͅ ↯̭ Bǔ Bǐng Wò Dīng ๓᜶ Dà Wù

䯹ጝ Yōng Jǐ

О̭ Zhōng Dīng

5

6

ᝀ⩞ Jiān Jiǎ

7

㒸⩞ Qiāng Jiǎ

8

䮩⩞ Yáng Jiǎ

⺂⩞ Zǔ Jiǎ

࢈ธ Bǔ Rén

⺂΅ Zǔ Yǐ

⺂䓇 Zǔ Xīn ⺂̭ Zǔ Dīng

ࢃᏆ Nán Gēng 㝘Ꮖ ᄻ䓇 Bān Gēng Xiǎo Xīn

ᄻ΅ Xiǎo Yǐ

9 10

๓Ꮖ Dà Gēng

ₒ̭ Wǔ Dīng

⺂ጝ Zǔ Jǐ

⺂Ꮖ Zǔ Gēng

Ꮳ̭ Kāng Dīng

This table shows the sequence of performing the five-ritual cycle for each ancestral king. It was arranged according to the seniority of enthronement and a strict adherence to a rule that requires each of the five rituals to be performed on a gānzhī day with its heavenly stem喋gān ᎞喌identical to the stem喋gān ᎞喌in the ancestral king’s temple name. For example, any ritual dedicated to Shàng Jiǎ喋̶⩞喌would be performed on the day with the stem jiǎ喋⩞喌
. The term “week” here refers to 10-day week or “ xun”.

© Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3

511

"QQFOEJY

#SJFG
*OUSPEVDUJPO
UP
0SBDMF
#POF
*OTDSJQUJPOT 03"$-&
#0/&4
The term Jiǎgǔ喋⩞俔

Oracle bones喌refer to ox scapulae and turtle plastrons喋or carapaces喌 that were used specifically for divination purpose in the late Shāng Dynasty喋ca.1300—1046 BCE喌
. The

term jiǎgǔwén喋⩞俔᪳

Oracle Bone Inscriptions, OBI喌refers to scripts engraved on

oracle bones, mostly for divination and record keeping. Hundreds of thousands of oracle bones have been unearthed since their discovery in 1899. The inscriptions represent not only the earliest known Chinese writing but also the oldest extant documents in Chinese concerning various aspects of the Shāng royal house, from sacrificial rituals to wars. These records brought the Shāng Dynasty from legend and archeology to historical existence.

%*4$07&3: Wáng Yìróng喋⢷ᜫỚ , 1845—1900喌and Liú È喋޵勆 , 1857—1909喌are credited with the discovery of oracle bone inscriptions in 1899. The story goes like this: Wáng obtained some shell and bone fragments from a local pharmacy for use as medicine. He noted some engraved marks on these fragments and showed them to his friend Liú È. As both were learned scholars familiar with bronze inscriptions, they quickly recognized certain graphs such as Zǔjǐ喋⺂ጝ喌and Zǔxīn 喋⺂ 䓇 喌 喋the names of two ancestral kings喌
, and thus became certain that these engraved marks could actually be Shāng inscriptions. At that time, the Qīng Dynasty, as the last Chinese imperial dynasty, was tottering towards collapse; Wáng, serving as Guózǐjiān Jìjiǔ喋షၼⰏ⺙䙾

Director of the Imperial Academy喌
, committed suicide in 1900 in the heat of the Boxer Rebellion. Liú È published the first collection of oracle bone inscriptions entitled Tiěyún cángguī喋ȧ䥡䰞㫻哈Ȩ

Oracle Bone Collection of Tiěyún喌in 1903. Liú È was also a famous novelist — his book, Lǎocán yóujì喋 ȧ㔭 ⃄ 䕶 㽄 Ȩ

Travel Log of Old Can喌
, is considered to be a great novel of the late Qīng Dynasty. He was exiled for political reasons and died in Xīnjiāng Province.

&9$"7"5*0/4
The Bamboo Annals喋 ȧ〥 ᰤ ㈬ Ꭰ Ȩ
, Zhúshū jìnián喌stated, ‘From the time when King Bān Gēng喋㝘Ꮖ喌moved his capital to the time that King Zhòu喋㈮喌perished at the end of Shāng Dynasty, for 273 years the Shāng capital did not change.’ This last Shāng capital was called Yīnxū © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3

513

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

514

喋⃣෋ , Ruins of Yīn喌in the Shǐjì喋 ȧञ㽄Ȩ 喌, and it was located at the present-day Xiǎotún喋ᄻᆛ喌
, Ānyáng, Hénán Province. Scientific excavations at Yīnxū started under the auspices of the Institute of History and Philology of Academia Sinica in 1928 and ended in 1937 due to the Sino-Japanese War. During a total of fifteen excavations, over 30,000 pieces of oracle bones and shells were unearthed. Of particular note is the finding in 1936 of over 17,000 pieces of bones and shells in the pit YH127. Archaeological excavation resumed after 1950. In 1973, more than 5000 pieces of bones and shells bearing inscriptions were discovered at Xiǎotún nándì喋ᄻ ᆛ ࢃ ౜ , South Land of Xiǎotún喌
. In 1991, a total of 1558 turtle shells, many complete intact plastrons, and 25 bones were excavated from the H3 pit at Huāyuánzhuāng dōngdì喋㟝 ా 㢶 Ო ౜ , East Land of Huāyuánzhuāng喌. Among them, 684 shells喋659 plastrons and 25 carapaces喌and 5 bones contain inscriptions. A compilation of the inscribed bones and shells from the 1973 excavation was published as the multi-volume Xiǎotún nándì jiǎgǔ喋ȧᄻᆛࢃ౜⩞俔Ȩ喌
. For the 1991 discovery, a gigantic six volume collection, Yīnxū Huāyuánzhuāng dōngdì jiǎgǔ喋ȧ⃣෋㟝ా㢶Ო౜⩞俔Ȩ喌
, was published in 2003. Since 1899, the total number of excavated oracle bones and shells exceeds 150,000 pieces. Assuming that each piece contains 10 graphs, we have at least 1.5 million words of oracle documents that can be used to illuminate the Shāng history. These documents mostly dealt with the royal activities, including ceremonial sacrifice, rituals, military campaigns, hunting, excursion, agriculture, divination, weather, illness, buildings and settlement, etc. The large collection of OBI is a treasure trove for studying many aspects of early China, from etymology to history.

JIǍGǓ SÌTÁNG — THE FOUR FOUNDING SCHOLARS We have summarized below the major accomplishments of four scholars of the 20th century, who are considered to be the founding fathers of the Oracle Bone Research. Coincidentally, their style names喋also called adult names喌all contain a character táng喋മ喌‘hall’, hence a term jiǎgǔ sìtáng, meaning literally, ‘Four Táng’s in Oracle Bone Research’ were coined to honor them. Luó Zhènyù喋㒱 ᡛ ⢵
, Xuě Táng 䰖 മ
, 1866—1940喌
: Luó was the first scholar to visit Xiǎotún and identify the place as Yīnxū, where all oracle bones were unearthed. He collected and published a large number of oracle bone inscriptions. He identified the names of many Shāng kings from oracle bone inscriptions. He proposed an effective method of deciphering OBI and recognized more than 400 OBI characters. Wáng Guówéi喋⢷ష㋙
, Guān Táng 㻬മ
, 1878—1927喌
: Wáng deciphered many important key characters and published a number of ground breaking papers and books on Shāng king list, Shāng geography, and Shāng rituals. He was the first to rejoin oracle bone fragments. Unfortunately, Wáng Guówéi committed suicide because he could not bear to witness to the down-fall of the Qīng Dynasty; he was a very traditional scholar.

Appendix 6

Brief Introduction to Oracle Bone Inscriptions

515

Dǒng Zuòbīn喋㦏҈䇿
, Yàn Táng ᒒമ
, 1895—1963喌
: Dǒng directed and participated almost every major archeological excavations in Xiǎotún between 1928 and 1937. He discovered the names of diviners and proposed the use of diviner names and other criteria in the dating of oracle bone inscriptions. He reconstructed the Shāng sacrificial ritual cycles and calendric system and compiled the first Shāng annals based on OBI source. The study of oracle bone in Taiwan was established by him at Taiwan University. Guō Mòruò喋䘙⇗㠑
, Dǐng Táng 吺മ
, 1891—1978喌
: Guō pioneered social anthropological studies of the Shāng society using OBI source and published 15 ground-breaking books within 14 years while he was a political refugee in Japan. He initiated geographic and mythological study and made some important epigraphical findings. He was instrumental in pushing for the compilation of the multi-volume Jiǎgǔwén Héjí, a collection of rubbings of 41,956 pieces of oracle bones.

SHĀNG SCAPULIMANCY The term ‘shaman’ comes from Tungusic saman, referring to those who possess knowledge making them capable of communicating with the dead or with spirits. From Neolithic time, the magico-religious life of society in central and north Asia centered on shamans. Bones were used in shamanic rites to facilitate contact with the spiritual world. The divination practice in Shāng society was clearly within the domain of shamanic culture and followed a long tradition of pyroscapulimancy that was practiced in central and north Asia since the Neolithic time. However, the Shāng practice differed from other cultures in its extensive use of tortoise plastrons, the ritual preparation of plastrons and bones before divination and its formalized divination inscriptions. The preparation of pyromantic bones and shells involved cleaning, trimming, sawing, scraping, smoothing and polishing in order to produce convenient, flat and shiny surfaces for cracking and inscription. Small hollows were then drilled or chiseled halfway through the bone or shell in an orderly array. The complete hollow has the shape of zǎohé喋ḃ ᵤ 喌‘date pit’. It is of interest to note that in the chapter of Wàiwù喋โ➕喌of Zhuāngzǐ喋ȧ㢶ၼȨ喌it indicated that for a complete divination ritual 72 hollows were made on one turtle shell. For divination, the diviner proposed the charge喋or question喌and an intense heat source was inserted into a hollow pit until cracks formed. Because of the shape of the date pit, the obverse side of the bone/plastron cracked in a shape roughly corresponding to the character喋࢈喌 喋bǔ or pǔ; Old Chinese: *puk; ‘to divine’喌
. Clearly, bǔ
‘to divine’ is a pictogram signifying such cracks. Moreover, the reading of the character bǔ is likely an onomatopoeia for the cracking sound. After cracking, each crack was examined and deciphered, and the king, functioned as an official shaman, would pronounce the prognostication. The charge and the prognostication would then be inscribed next to the crack. Finally, the oracle bones and shells were archived. Since application of heat/fire喋pyro-喌onto

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

516

plastrons or scapulae was part of divination喋-mancy喌process, the term pyromancy, plastromancy, or scapulimancy was used to describe this process. The process was mostly presided by the Shāng King and perhaps conducted by the diviners. Occasionally the Shāng King took over the role as diviner and personally conducted the ritual. In either case, the King was considered the Master of Divination Body喋zhānbǔ zhǔtǐ ࢌ࢈ͧ倀喌
. Next, an engraver would carve with a jade or a metal knife onto the surface of plastrons or scapulae the divination inscriptions喋bǔcí ࢈䓙喌
, which include the following components: preface 喋qiáncí ‫ݹ‬䓙喌
, charge喋mìngcí ঩䓙喌
, prognostication喋zhàncí ࢌ䓙喌
, and verification喋yàncí 侃䓙喌
. In addition, the orders of cracks were noted next to the cracks and special terms such as “auspicious” or “inauspicious” were inscribed. Together, they are called crack notation. The preface recorded the date of divination using the system of gānzhī喋᎞ᩛ
, heavenly stems and earthly branches喌
, the name of diviner, and sometimes the place of divination. Then, the topic of divination喋called the charge or mìngcí喌was posed, such as whether it will rain tomorrow. The divination charges were often directed at ancestors as well as natural powers and Dì喋dì ፉ ‘the supreme deity/ god’喌
. Anything of concern to the Shāng royal house, from illness, birth and death, to weather, warfare, agriculture, tribute and so on, could be the subject of the divination charge. One of the most common topics was whether performing rituals in a certain manner would be appropriate or satisfactory. It is unclear how the cracks were deciphered and whether the diviner participated in deciphering. Consistent with role of the Master of Divination Body, the prognostication was almost always made by the Shāng King, as noted by the phrase used at the beginning of prognostication: wáng zhàn yuē喋⢷ࢌᰜ喌‘The King read the cracks and proclaimed’. However, in a small portion of oracle bones, including the recently discovered Huāyuánzhuāng corpus, the prognostication was made by Zǐ喋zǐ ၼ喌
, who was likely to be a very high member of the royal house喋e.g. a crown prince喌
. Finally, a sentence of verification, which indicated the actual outcome, might be recorded and is known as yàncí.

"QQFOEJY

#SJFG
*OUSPEVDUJPO
UP
'PVS
0SJHJOBM
8SJUJOHT 
"#453"$5 The intersection of these two highly developed avenues of human perceptionÿvisual 喋iconic喌and auditory喋symbolic喌perceptionÿallows for the possibility of writing.喋John S. Robertson The First Writing喌喏As such喏the combining of visual sign and audio symbol signified the genesis of writing. Thus喏writing is at once atemporal and temporal喏iconic and symbolic. Archeological evidence suggests that writing was invented independently in Mesopotamia喏 Egypt喏China喏Mesoamerica喏and probably Indus Valley. The writings developed throughout human history are either logographic or phonetic喏syllabic or alphabetic. The four original writings喏Sumerian cuneiform喏Egyptian hieroglyph喏Mesoamerican hieroglyph喏and Chinese oracle bone inscription喋OBI喌喏are all logographic. Among them only the Chinese writing survives and remains as the only logographic writing in the world. The other three became extinct hundreds or thousands year ago. Among the original writings喏the Sumerian cuneiform and Egyptian hieroglyphic script were dated to about 3200 BCE and the Olmec-Mayan was dated to about 600 BCE. The archeological evidence of the earliest Chinese writing is the oracle bone inscription喋OBI喌of late Shāng Dynasty喋1300ÿ1100 BCE喌
. Since OBI is a fully mature writing喏the genesis of Chinese writing must have occurred much earlier than 1300 BCE. Although the so-called pottery inscription喋táowén 䮢᪳喌has been discovered all over China喏some dated to 5000 BCE喏their connection to OBI is uncertain. Although we don’t have direct evidence for Chinese writing earlier than OBI喏we have formulated a model for the genesis and development of Chinese writing喏and applied three approaches喏archeological喏 textual喏and mathematical喏to tentatively date the origin of Chinese writing to about 2500 BCE.


%&'*/*5*0/喏
(&/&4*4
"/%
%&7&-01.&/5
0'
83*5*/( The invention of writing is the single most important intellectual achievement of the human race. As spoken language distinguishes man from animal喏writing distinguishes a civilized man from a barbarian. In contrast to spoken language喏which is temporal and physiological喏writing is atemporal and requires media and space. When was writing invented? Was it invented only once or several times on this planet? Are cave paintings simply paintings or are some of them a form © Shanghai People's Publishing House 2020 K. Y. Chen et al., Reading of Shāng Inscriptions, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-15-6214-3

517

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

518

of pictographic writing? Can pottery marks be considered writing? To address these questions we need to have a consensus on the definition of writing喏before we can determine whether a sign喏an icon喏or a pictograph is writing. In other words喏under what condition喏a graph can be considered as writing? Here we summarize the argument put forward by William Boltz喏University of Washington喏as follows. 1喌
A graph喋G喌is defined as an instance of writing if it has a conventionally associated pronunciation喋P喌喏
whether or not that pronunciation is accompanied by an associated meaning喋S喌喏
thus G:{+P喏
±S}. 2喌
The earliest evidence for writing wherever it was invented ex nihilo tends to show graphs that have an associated pronunciation and a correlated meaning喏
viz.喏
G:{+P喏
+S}. 3喌
The {+P} feature alone defines them as writing; the {+S} feature is explained partly by the empirical fact that this is what the archeological record of the earliest known evidence for writing shows and partly by the inference that if writing arose from a functional use of prewriting graphs喏
those graphs must have had some meaning to start with. The question is喏
when and how did that fusion of喋S喌and喋P喌happen. In this way喏
the genesis of writing can be expressed by the following equation: G:{+S} →

G:{+P喏
dS}

Here G represents a graph喏
which can be a sign喏
a pictogram or a script. G:{+S} denotes a graph that containsĂsenseăor information content. Thus喏
marks喏
signs喏
graphs喏
scripts喏
icons喏
or glyphs can all be considered as G:{+S}. It is only when a phonetic element is incorporated into G:{+S} that we have a writing as defined by G:{+P喏
dS}. Fig. 1 illustrates how this equation fits with the general view of the genesis and development of writing. If we view this equation as a chemical reaction喏
then喏
like any chemical reaction喏
we will be concerned with questions such a: What is the catalyst? What is reaction condition? And how long will the reaction take?


%"5*/(
0'
5)&
03*(*/"-
83*5*/(4 It is generally agreed among scholars that only four writing systems have been independently invented in human history. They are Sumerian cuneiform of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers喏
Egyptian hieroglyph of the Nile River喏
Olmec-Mayan of Mesoamerica喏
and Chinese OBI of the Yellow River. Whether or not Harappan of the Indus River Valley indeed represents a writing is still unclear. Table 1 summarizes the key features of these writings.

Appendix 7

519

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

5BCMF

5IF
LFZ
GFBUVSFT
PG
UIF
PSJHJOBM
XSJUJOHT 8SJUJOH

5JNF


PG
TJHOT


PG
TZMMBCBSZ TJHOT

-JGFTQBO喋ZST喌

Sumerian

3200ÿ1800 BCE

600

150

1500

Egyptian

3200 BCEÿ394 CE

700

100

3600

Chinese*

1300 BCEÿNow

50000

62

>3300

Mayan**

600 BCEÿ1500 CE

500

50

2100

*The origin of Chinese writing was estimated to be 2500 BCE see discussion below but we used the date of the late Shāng Dynasty for OBI here. The number of signs and syllabary signs represents estimate gleaned from the literature. Although Hanyu dazidian 漢語大字典 (Big Dictionary of Chinese Language) listed more than 50,000 characters, this number has to be put into perspective because in modern Chinese, less than 5,000 are enough for reading and writing. **Recent archeological evidence may extended the earliest date of Olmec-Mayan writing to 900 BCE.

The dating of the origin of both Sumerian and Egyptian writing is supported by strong archeological evidence. The Mayan writing clearly was derived from the earlier Olmec writing喏
which was dated to around 600 BCE or earlier. Although Chinese writing is the only surviving original writing喏
its origin has not been definitively dated. The earliest Chinese writing available today is OBI of the late Shāng喏
which is already a fully mature writing. Clearly喏
the origin of Chinese would have to be much earlier than the time of the late Shāng喋ca.
1300ÿ1046 BCE喌. In the absence of definitive archeological evidence喏
we propose to apply etymological analysis of OBI scripts to extrapolate and determine the time of transition from G:{+S} to G:{+P喏
+S} as an alternative approach to dating the origin to Chinese writing. We also propose to examine the criteria for other original writings and compare these criteria with archeological data available with regard to pottery marks and OBI scripts. By combining these approaches喏
the genesis of writing probably occurred between 2500 and 2000 BCE. 
4VNFSJBO
8SJUJOH

Sumerian writing emerged in the Uruk region of southern part of modern Iraq喏
the fertile land of the Tigris and Euphrates. Triangular or wedge-shaped reeds were used to write on a moist clay to produce inscriptions in the shape of wedges喏
hence the name cuneiform喋from the Latin cuneus = wedge喏
and forma = shape喌. There were about 940 different signs being used around 2600 BCE. By the time of Ur III Dynasty喏
also known as Neo-Sumerian Empire喋ca. 2100ÿ 2000 BCE喌喏
the number of cuneiform signs喏
known as Neo-Sumerian cuneiform喏
was reduced to 500. Sumerian continued to be the language of religion and law in Mesopotamia long after Semitic speakers had become the ruling elite at the region after 2000 BCE. Despite the dynastical and regime changes喏
the tradition of cuneiform scripts stayed喏
and the original Sumerian cuneiform script was adopted and adapted for the writing of other languages in Mesopotamia and nearby regions喏
including Akkadian喏
Babylonian喏
Assyrian喏Elamite喏and Hittite. Cuneiform writing was eventually replaced by phonetic system in Neo-Assyrian Empire and became extinct by the beginning of the Common Era喋CE喌
. It was the work of Sir Henry Creswicke Rawlinson喋1810ÿ

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

520

1895喌on the trilingual喋Old Persian喏
Elamite and Akkadian喌inscriptions carved on the rock of Behistun in modern Iran that led the decipherment of the cuneiform writings. Hundreds of thousands of texts in the cumeiform script have survived. In fact喏
libraries full of clay tablets have been excavated. Monumental inscriptions and texts on objects like statues or bricks are also very common. The earliest collection of archeological materials related to Sumerian writing consists of a large number of pictographic inscription tablets from the Uruk IV and III periods喋ca. 3300ÿ3200 BCE喌喏
generally termedĂproto-cuneiformătexts喏
as the graphs have not yet assumed the distinctive wedge-shaped marks that is the basis for calling them cuneiform. Fig. 2 shows an example of an Uruk IV clay tablet; in it we can identify signs indicating dates喏
quantities of barley喏
and the making of beer with barley. At the bottom left喏
there is a composite sign with phonetic value assigned as ku-shim. This composite sign appeared in eighteen other tablets and was thought to be the name of some official喏
who was entrusted with the administration of a storage facility of basic ingredients for making beer. As the composite sign represented a personal name Kushim喏
it is qualified to be in the class of G:{+P喏
+S}. Based on this reasoning喏
it was proposed that the Sumerian writing was invented in Uruk at 3200 BCE or earlier. 
&HZQUJBO
)JFSPHMZQIJD
8SJUJOH

The history of ancient Egypt started at Dynasty Zero喋ca.
3200ÿ3000 BCE喌喏
spanning over thirty one dynasties喏
and ended in 343 BCE when it fell under Greek rule. Egyptian writing was evident already in Dynasty 1 and lasted throughout the Pharaonic dynasties喏
the Greek rule喏
and the Roman rule. It finally ceased to be used anywhere after 394 CE and became a dead language. The discovery of the bilingual Rosetta Stone carved with three different inscriptions 喋hieroglyphic喏
demotic and ancient Greek喌allowed Thomas Young喋1773ÿ1829喌and JeanFrançois Champollion喋1790ÿ1832喌to decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics. The earliest evidence of Egyptian writing comes from the U-j tomb of the pre-dynastic and Dynastic 0喋period of Naquada IIIa喏
ca. 3200 BCE喌 喏
located at Abydos in Upper Egypt喏
which includes:喋i喌about 200 small bone and ivory tags with graphic signs and a hole drilled mostly at top right one corner; and 喋ii喌more than 100 ceramic jars with wavy-handled type喏
bore large single or paired signs painted on the walls. Fig. 3 shows a U-j jar with a composite sign made of a bird and a rectangle with another two signs inside it. As shown in Fig. 4喏
this composite sign actually represents an insignia and emblem of a Pharaoh: the bird sign signifies Horus喏
the guardian angel of the pharaoh喏
and the rectangle喏
called serekh喏
represents the palace façade and courtyard喏
where the pharaoh’s name would be inscribed. In other words喏
serekh was a royal seal and insignia. The two signs喋a chisel and a catfish喌on the U-j jar has phonetic value ofĂnrăandĂmră喏
hence pronounced as nar-mer喏
the name of the first Pharaoh喏
Narmer喏
who was credited with the unification of Upper

Appendix 7

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

521

and Lower Egypt. On the famous Narmer Palette喋Fig. 5喌喏
the chisel-catfish sign of Narmer is at the top of both sides of palette. On the front side喏
Narmer喏
wearing the white crown as the king of Upper Egypt喏
grasped a man by the forelock and smote with an upraised mace. On the reverse side喏
he wore the red crown as the king of Lower Egypt喏
indicating that he now was the king of both lands. Similarly喏
the names of subsequent kings can also be found either on pottery or other objects. Sometime喏
the name of the king was directly inscribed in front of him in a drawing. Fig. 6A shows an inscribed drawing on a mace head喏
where the king appeared in ritual dress with the bull tail and the white crown喏
performing some ceremony with hoe or mattock. In front of the king there was a scorpion sign. The scorpion sign also appeared on pottery jar and other objects喋Fig. 6B喌. We are certain that the scorpion sign was the name of a pre-dynastic pharaoh. Here喏
since a single sign depicting scorpion or catfish/chisel was used as personal name喏
the sign has phonetic value and thus can be called a proto-writing. These examples again emphasize that any pottery mark or graph would qualify as a proto-writing喏
if it can be shown to represent a personal name. Based on this argument喏
the pictograms on the U-j carved bone tags喋Fig. 7喌are considered to represent the earliest evidence of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing. As such喏
most scholars conclude that at least by the time of Naqada IIIa喋ca. 3200 or 3300 BCE喌喏
proto-writing has already been invented in Egypt. Thus the genesis of Egyptian writing was dated around or before the time of Pharaoh Scorpion and Phararoh Narmer. 
0MNFD-.BZBO
8SJUJOH

The ancient Maya territory喏
situated in Mesoamerica喏
was defined by the distribution of ruins of Maya cultures喋tombs喏
temples喏
stone structures喌and by the extent of Mayan-speaking Indians. It covers part of the modern Mexico喏
Guatemala喏
Belize喏
west part of Honduras喏
and part of El Salvador喏
with an area of about 125000 square miles. The time-frame of Mesoamerican civilization can be divided into four periods:喋i喌Paleo-Indian Period喋20000ÿ8000 BCE喌喏
the time when hunter-gatherers from Siberia entered and colonized the American continents; 喋ii喌Archaic Period喋8000ÿ2000 BCE喌喏
a period that was characterized by pottery喏
loom weaving喏
domestication of plants喏
and permanent villages;喋iii喌Formative Period or pre-Classic period喋2000 BCEÿ250 CE喌喏
a time that featured Olmec喏
Zapotec喏
and the beginning of Maya civilizations;喋iv喌Classic Period喋250ÿ900喌喏
the golden age of Mesoamerican civilization when the Mayans reached their peak and produced some of their most extraordinary works. 喋v喌Post-Classic Period喋900ÿ1521喌喏
the Mayan urban centers shifted to the northern Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. By the time the Europeans arrived喏
the Mayan city-states had mysteriously disintegrated and whatever remained was weak and in disarray. The Spanish colonization and Christianization of Mesoamerica led to the burning of thousands of Mayan codices喏
chiefly done by a Spanish Bishop Diego de Landa Calderón in 1562喏
resulted in the extinction of Mayan hieroglyphics and literary tradition. Fortunately喏
four Mayan codices survived the fire and found

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

522

their way to Europe. In addition喏
Mayan hieroglyphics can be found on artifacts喏
stela喏
stairs喏
and lintels in many archeological ruins喏
and Mayan dialects are still spoken by millions of Mayan Indians. Relying on the de Landa’s alphabet list喏
the four codices recovered in European libraries喏
and the knowledge of Mayan spoken language喏
Yuri Knorosov喋1922ÿ1999喌喏
a Russian scholar喏
deciphered Mayan hieroglyphics in the early 1950s by showing convincingly that Mayan writing is logosyllabic. Although classical Mayan hieroglyphic writing was generally thought to start around 200 CE喏
the origin of Maya writing can be traced back many centuries earlier to the Olmec period. The Olmec civilization along the swampy estuaries of the Mexican Gulf Coast reached its apogee during the Middle Pre-classic times. Widely regarded as theĂmother cultureăof Mesoamerica喏
Olmec religion and art styles spread far beyond their homeland in Central America. Many glyph-like motifs have been found at sites that belong to Olmec culture. For example喏
the famous La Mojarra stela 1 was discovered in 1986 in Veracruz喏
Mexico. This four-ton basalt slab not only contains about 535 Epi-Olmec scripts but also features a full-length portrait of a man in an elaborate headdress and costume喋Fig. 8喌. Among these scripts are two Mesoamerican Long Count calendar dates which correspond to May 143 CE and July 156 CE. In 2002喏
Mary Pohl and co-workers at the Florida State University reported a finding near an Olmec site at La Venta in Tabasco喏
Mexico喏
of a cylinder seal and carved greenstone plaque bearing glyphs. The seal was dated to about 650 BCE. The cylindrical seal contains the raised image of a bird with two signs emerging from of its beak. By comparing these signs to Maya hieroglyphs喏
Pohl concluded that the seal picture shows that the bird symbolically speaks the words喏 ĂKing
3 Ajaw.ăIn the Mayan language喏
the word Ajaw could mean eitherĂlordăor a day name in the 260-day calendar. It is highly likely thatĂ3 Ajawărefers to the name of one of the Olmec rulers喏
as they are often depicted in bird costume. One can imagine that during the reign of King 3 Ajaw喏
the cylinder seal would have been dipped in ink and rolled across bark or cloth to leave a repeating pattern. Bearing the king’s name would have been a mark of both status and allegiance. King 3 Ajaw might have ruled over the nearby site of La Venta喏
which was founded around 850 BCE. Pohl suggested that their findings would imply that Mesoamerican writing originated in the La Venta polity at an even earlier time than 650 BCE. The Olmecs are known to have carved signs on various objects喋Fig. 10A喌since around 900 BCE喏
but scholars are divided over whether this can be classified as true writing. In 1999喏
a stone slab喏
named theĂCascajal blockă喏
was uncovered by road builders digging up an ancient mound at Cascajal喏
San Lorenzo. Its text consists of 62 signs喏
some of which are repeated up to four times喋Fig. 10B喌. A team of Mayan scholars suggest that the textĂconforms to all expectations of writingăbecause of its distinct elements喏
patterns of sequencing喏
and consistent reading order and thus may represent the earliest Olmec glyphs. If their conclusion is correct喏
it would push the origin of Olmec-Mayan writing back to 900 BCE or earlier.

Appendix 7

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

523


$IJOFTF
XSJUJOH


Chinese is the only original writing that survives into computer age. The earliest archeological evidence of Chinese writing is oracle bone inscriptions喋OBI喌喏
the oracle inscriptions engraved on turtle shells or animal bones. Most喏
if not all喏
of the oracle bones and shells belonged to the royal house during the last 200 years of the Shāng Dynasty喋ca. 1300ÿ1046 BCE喌. Sīmǎ Qiān 喋त付䖣喌喏
the grand historian喏
wrote in the Shǐjì喋ȧञ㽄Ȩ喌喏 ĂFrom
the time King Bān Gēng 喋㝘Ꮖ喌moved his capital喋to Xiǎotún喌to the time that King Zhòu喋㈮喌perished喏
for 273 years喏
the capital喋of Shāng喌has not moved again.ăIt was in Xiǎotún喏
also known as Yīnxū 喋Yīn ruins喌喏
that almost all of the Shāng oracle bones and shells were unearthed. The credit of discovery of OBI goes to Wáng Yì-Róng喋⢷ᜫỚ喏1845ÿ1900喌 喏
Director of the Imperial Academy. Wáng first obtained some bone fragments and shells from antique salesmen in 1899. Although most inscriptions were illegible to them喏
Wáng and his friend喏
Liú È喋޵勆喏1857ÿ1909喌喏
were able to identify graphs such as Zǔ Jǐ喋⺂ጝ喌喏Zǔ Xīn喋⺂䓇喌and quickly became certain that these inscriptions were made by scribers of the Shāng Dynasty 3000 years ago. Soon after this discovery喏
Wáng committed suicide during the Boxer Rebellion in 1900. Wáng’s untimely death left Liú the burden to compile and publish the inscriptions of their collection. In 1903喏
Liú published the first compendium on oracle bone inscriptions entitled Tiěyún Cáng Guī喋ȧ䥡 䰞㫻哈Ȩ喏Oracle Bone Collection of Tiěyún喌. Incidentally喏
Liú was also a well-known novelist. His book喏
Lǎocán Yóujì喋 ȧ㔭 ⃄ ⍤ 㽄 Ȩ 喏Travel Log of Old Cán喌喏
was considered to be a true classic at the end of Imperial China. Almost all of the unearthed oracle bones and shells were related to pyromantic practice of the Shāng royal house. Such practice was characterized by the following features:喋i喌the use of turtle shell and cattle scapulas;喋ii喌the special processing of bones and shells for producing omen cracks; and喋iii喌the incision of the divination records with jade or metal knife喏
hence the term oracle bone inscriptions. In addition to oracle bones喏
Shāng inscriptions were found on bronze vessels and pottery shards. Shāng writing as we have learned from the study of OBI contains more than 4000 graphs and reveals sophisticated grammar and lexical structures. As OBI of the late Shāng was already fully mature喏
the genesis of Chinese writing must have occurred before 1300 BCE. This brings our attention to the so-called táowén喋䮢 ᪳喏pottery inscriptions喌 喏
etched marks on the pottery utensils喏
stone equipment or even shells and bones喏
which were discovered in culture sites and ruins all over China. Table 2 lists the name喏
location喏
and dating of some of these sites. In studying this table喏
we are struck by the temporal and spatial distribution of these culture sites. We note that the time of some culture sites goes back to 5000 BCE and that the areas covered by these culture sites are larger than Egypt喏
Sumer and Maya combined. In addition喏
we note that all these culture sites喏
with almost no exception喏
are very close to the three major river systems喏
the Yellow River喏
the Yangtze River喏
and the Huái River. It is also of interest to note that almost all the pottery marks from 5000 BCE to 2500 BCE

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

524

existed only as single signs喏
but after 2500 BCE strings of signs appeared in the sites of Lóngshān culture喋咹 ᆝ ᪳ ࡂ 喌and Liángzhǔ culture喋㞛 ⍆ ᪳ ࡂ 喌
. Although some signs somewhat resemble OBI script喏
it is difficult to make any connection. Nonetheless喏
Féng Shí has argued that the famous Dīnggōngcūn táowén with its eleven-sign string is sufficiently long to represent lexical writing and demonstrated that they may be related to the writing of ancient Yí喋ᒉ喌 喏
a minority people in the Southwest China. In any event喏
in light of long temporal span and wide spatial distribution of these culture sites喏
we speculate that different languages and proto-writings might have existed in different regions during the third millennium BCE. This hypothesis is also supported by the following observations:喋i喌In the transmitted texts it was recorded thatĂat the time of King Yǔ喋⻥喏
the founding king of the Xià Dynasty喏
ca. 2000 BCE喌there were 10000 states喏
at the time of King Chéngtāng喋᜼⎛喏
the founding king of the Shāng Dynasty喏
ca.1600 BCE喌 喏
there were 3000 states喏
and by the time of King Wǔ喋ₒ⢷喏the founding king of the Zhōu Dynasty喏
ca. 1100 BCE喌喏
only about 1800.ăAlthough a state could probably just mean an independent city with earthen walls喏
the textual information suggested that there were many states in ancient time.喋ii喌A story in the Shuoyuan喋ȧ㿘㟽Ȩ喌喏
written by Liú Xiàng喋޵ऽ喏
77ÿ6 BCE喌
recorded one of the oldest transliterations and translations of a song sung in the southern language of Yuè喋䊶喌
into the northern Hàn Chinese. The story went like this: a prince of Chǔ Ẇ state traveling to the south喏
met several beautiful girls boating on a lake. The girls sung to him喏
but he could not understand喏
so he asked a translator to record the sound 喋transliteration喌and then translate it into Hàn Chinese. This story suggested that even at the time of Chūnqiū喋᭑⻷喏ca.500 BCE喌different spoken languages喏
not just dialects喏
still existed in China. 喋iii喌In the transmitted texts the names of some legendary or historical figures such as Chīyóu 喋㯕ᅐ喌 ȟZhuānxū喋䵿䴶喌 ȟGònggōng喋‫ڝ‬጑喌 ȟBùkū喋̹⿋喌 ȟQìngjié喋ᚢレ喌 ȟChàfú喋ጚ ᑃ喌 ȟHuǐ喋⃭喌 ȟHánzhuó喋ჾ⊊喌 ȟBùjiàng喋̹䭹喌were made of unusual Chinese characters that did not conform to Chinese naming tradition and thus could all be transliteration-rendered. Of particular interest is the name of Chīyóu喋㯕ᅐ喌喏
who is known to be the legendary arch-enemy of the Yellow Emperor. The two characters of his name喏
chī喋㯕 喌and yóu喋ᅐ 喌喏
if written in OBI would became  and  . As both of these two OBI graphs meanĂdisastersă喏
I suspect that t he use of  and  to transliterate theĂforeign-soundăname chīyóu could be a politically motivated pun喏
aiming at defaming this enemy leader喏
who was defeated and killed by the Yellow Emperor喏
the legendary ancestor of all Chinese. 
%BUJOH
PG
$IJOFTF
XSJUJOH

The scholarly discussion on the origin of Chinese writing can be hampered by the lack of

Appendix 7

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

525

consensus on the precise definition of writing. Moreover喏
the absence of direct archeological evidence prior to the Shāng Dynasty has made many discussions speculative. Nonetheless喏
with the functional definition of writing as illustrated in Fig. 1 we are more surefooted to take a fresh look at the archeological data related to táowén喏
particularly from a comparative point of view by studying the approaches for dating other original writings. The unique logographic feature and the continuity of Chinese writing may provide another avenue for dating its origin. 喋1喌Analysis of Archeological Data Pottery marks and signs engraved on jade喏
stone instruments喏
shells and bones喏
were found in many cultural sites from Neolithic time to Shāng and later dynasties喋Table 2喌. So far喏
there is no hard evidence indicating that these pottery signs truly represents a proto-writing. A comparative analysis of Chinese táowén with that of Mesopotamia喏
Egypt and Mesoamerica may shed some light on whether any of these pottery signs could be considered as candidates for proto-writing. With this in mind we will focus on táowén from Dàwènkǒu喋๓↢ए喌 喏
Liángzhǔ喋㞛⍆喌 喏
Dīnggōngcūn喋̭ ‫ژ‬ᱽ喌and Táosì喋䮢ᄦ喌and assess their possible role in the genesis of Chinese writing. 喋i喌Dàwènkǒu táowén: Fig. 11A shows a Dàwènkǒu pottery urn that contains one incised mark. Fig. 11B shows the mark from this and other urns. Six of these marks were found to be almost identical to pottery marks discovered at other ruins including Língyánghé喋䮡 䮩 ⇟ 喌喏
喏
and Hángtóu喋Კ䵙喌 喏
all in modern Shāndōng Qiánzhài喋‫ݹ‬ᄔ 喌 喏
Dàzhūjiācūn喋๓ ᱝტᱽ喌 Province. Importantly喏
pottery vessels unearthed from Yùchísì喋ᄵ䖞ᄦ喌 喏
Méng chéng喋㧅೺喌 in Ānhuī Province喏
about 500 km from Dàwènkǒu喏
bore similar signs. So far喏
a total of about twenty individual signs have been discovered喏
dated ca. 2800ÿ2600 BCE. The signs were all incised on the surface of large-mouth pottery urns called zūn喋ᄶ喌 喏
mostly on the upper portion of the body. Each urn bore a single graph喏
occasionally two signs喏
one up and one at the bottom喏
or one each on two sides of the upper body. The urns may be ritual utensils or wine vessels喏
with similar function as the ritual bronze vessels of later period. Some signs still retain vermilion pigment喏
which might have religious implication. Some of these Dàwènkǒu signs closely resemble some of the bronze or oracle bone inscriptions. Some of them actually can be considered as pictographs喋xiàngxíng 䆍ᒎ喌and composite ideographs喋huìyì ᰯᘻ喏syssemantograph喌. The fact that the same sign was found over areas separated by hundreds of miles would suggest that there was certain stylistic standardization so that the sign could be recognized by residents far apart. Comparing the Dàwènkǒu pottery marks with the pottery marks from the U-j tombs of Naqada IIIa period in Egypt喋Fig. 11A vs. Fig. 3A喌喏
it is tempting to speculate that the Dàwènkǒu signs might serve the same function as the royal name or clan emblem. If so喏
these marks must bear some phonetic element and could be considered as proto-writing. 喋ii喌Liángzhǔ táowén: Liángzhǔ喋㞛⍆喌culture喋ca. 2800ÿ1900 BCE喌refers to the late Neolithic sites in the areas of modern Zhèjiāng and Jiāngsū Province. Fig. 12 shows a black

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

526

pottery from Chénghú喋⒰⎂喌喏
Wú County喋ॠ㍏喌. It bears four inscriptions that resemble OBI scripts. Fig. 13 shows two jade disks inscribed with a composite sign喏
the left one shows a bird standing atop an inverted trapezoid喏
which some scholars have interpreted as a five-peak mountain. The right one shows that the trapezoid sits on a half-moon-like or flame-like motif. Fig. 14 compares the Liángzhǔ bird-motif signs with the Egyptian Horus serekh sign喏
their similarity is striking. If the Liángzhǔ bird-motif signs served a similar function as the Egyptian Horus serekh sign喏
they could qualify to be proto-writings. 喋iii喌Dīnggōngcūn táowén: The famous Dīnggōngcūn pottery inscription喋Fig. 15喌was incised on the interior bottom part of a grey pottery pen basin unearthed from a pit dated 2200ÿ 2100 BCE at Dīnggōngcūn喏
Zōupíng County喋䘾 ᎟ ㍏ 喌 喏
Shāndōng Province. Eleven signs were arranged into five columns. The signs are quite cursive喏
and their relationship to the OBI scripts is difficult to ascertain. Interestingly喏
Féng Shí has proposed that these eleven signs represented the ancient writing of the Yí喋ᒉ喌people that they were related to the divination using chicken bones. 喋iv喌Táosì táowén: The Táosì喋䮢ᄦ喌culture site at Xiāngfén喋㹰↪喌喏
Shānxī喋ᆝ㺫喌喏
dated 2500ÿ1900 BCE喏
covers an area of 30000 sq meter with about 1300 tombs; only 1% contains wooden coffins containing burial objects including painted pottery basins with coiled dragon designs喏
wooden drums喏
jade喏
and musical instrument qìng喋⸘喌made of stone. A small copper bell unearthed here was the earliest intact copper objects yet discovered in China. Fig. 16 shows a pottery fragment containing two signs painted with brush in vermilion color; one sign was almost identical to the OBI graph wén喋᪳喌. Some scholars suggest that the other sign is the character yáo喋൛喌喏
the name of a legendary king喏
who abdicated his throne to Dà Yǔ喋๓⻥喌喏
the founding king of Xià Dynasty. 5BCMF

/FPMJUIJD
TJUFT
XJUI
FOHSBWFE
QPUUFSZ
VOFBSUIFE 3VJOT

$VMUVSF
5ZQF

5JNF
1FSJPE #$&

3JWFS
CBTJO

Jiǎhúcūn Wǔyáng喏Hénán

Péiligǎng

6000

Huái River

Hóng River shore

>20

Shuāngdūn Bàngbù喏Ānhuī

Shuāngdūn

5000

Huái River

Wō River + Huái River

>60

Jiāngzhài Líntóng喏Shǎnxī

Yǎngsháo

4600ÿ3600

Yellow River

Jīng River + Wèi River

>40

Yángjiāwān Yichāng喏Húběi

Dàxī

4000ÿ3400

Yangtze River

Xi River + Yangtze River

>50

Bànpō Xī’ān喏Shǎnxī

Yǎngsháo

4000ÿ3000

Yellow River

Wèi River喏south 20 km

～30

Sōngzé Village Qīngpǔ喏Shànghǎi

Sōngzé

3910ÿ3230

Yangtze River Lake Dìngshān喏east 8 km

>8

Hóngshānmiào Rǔzhōu喏Hénán

Yǎngsháo

3000

Yellow River

>6

(FPHSBQIJDBM
-PDBUJPO* 4JOHMF
TJHO

Rǔ River喏north shore

4USJOH
TJHOT

Appendix 7

527

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

3VJOT

$VMUVSF
5ZQF

5JNF
1FSJPE #$&

3JWFS
CBTJO

Shíjiāhé Tiānmén喏Húběi

Shíjiāhé

2700ÿ2000

Yangtze River

Tiānmén River喏north shore

>16

Chéngziyá Lìchéng喏Shāndōng

Lóngshān

2500ÿ1800

Yellow River

Yellow River喏south 6 km

>20

Dàwènkǒu Shāndōng

Dàwènkǒu

2500

Yellow River

Dàwèn River喏north shore

>10

Bǎotóucūn Níngyáng喏Shāndōng

Dàwènkǒu

2500

Yellow River

Dàwèn River喏south 20 km

>1

Dīnggōngcūn Zōupíng喏Shāndōng

Lóngshān

2200ÿ2100

Yellow River

Yellow River 喏south 40 km

Liángzhǔ Hángzhōu喏Zhèjiāng

Liángzhǔ

2200

Yangtze River

Qiántángjiāng喏 rivermouth

>20

Chénghú Wúxiàn喏Jiāngsū

Liángzhǔ

2150

Yangtze River

Lake Tàihú喏west 20 km

>20

4

Nánhú Yúháng喏Zhèjiāng

Liángzhǔ

2150

Yangtze River

Dōngsháoxī 喏east shore

>20

8

Lóngqiúzhuāng Gāoyóu喏Jiāngsū

Nándàng

2000

Yangtze River

Lake Gāoyóu喏east shore

8

Táosì Xiāngfén喏Shānxī

Táosì

2000

Yellow River

Fén River喏east shore

3

Liǔwān Lèdū喏Qīnghǎi

Mǎjiāyáo

2000

Yellow River

River Huángshuǐ喏north shore

～130

Mǎjiāyáo喏Gānsù

Mǎjiāyáo

2000

Yellow River

Zhuānglàng River shore

10

Èrlǐtóu Yǎnshī喏Hénán

Èrlǐtóu

1900ÿ1500

Yellow River

Luò River喏north shore

>25

Zǐjīng Shāngxiàn喏Hénán

Èrlǐtóu

1900ÿ1500

Yellow River

River Dānjiāng喏north shore

Zhèngyáo Miǎnchí喏Hénán

Èrlǐtóu

1900ÿ1500

Yellow River

River Jiànshuǐ喏north shore

Shǐjiā Héngtái喏Shāndōng

Yuèshí

1900—1500

Yellow River

Yellow River喏 south 30 km

Xiǎoshuāngqiáo Zhèngzhōu喏Hénán

Èrlǐgǎng

1600—1300

Yellow River

Yellow River喏south shore

Táixi Hāochéng喏Héběi

Èrlǐgǎng

1600—1300

Yellow River

Hūtuó River喏south shore

Wúchéng Qīngjiāng喏Jiāngxī

Shāng

1500

Yangtze River

River Gànjiāng喏south shore

* Confluence of two rivers are indicated withĂ+ăsign.

(FPHSBQIJDBM
-PDBUJPO* 4JOHMF
TJHO

4USJOH
TJHOT

11

6

26

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

528

The style of táowén on Liángzhǔ black pottery喋Fig. 12喌喏
Dīnggōngcūn pottery shard喋Fig. 15喌喏
and Táosì pottery vessel喋Fig. 16喌appeared to be already far removed from simple sign or picture drawing. The fact that more than two signs appeared in strings suggests that these signs could form a lexical unit. Although un-deciphered喏
these inscriptions can be considered to be indirect evidence for the existence of proto-writing at the time of the Lóngshān Culture Period 喋ca. 2000 BCE喌. As mentioned above喏
on that Olmec seal the king’s name was spit out from the bird’s beaked mouth喋Fig. 9喌喏
whereas the pharaoh’s name was located in the serekh under the protection of the falcon god Horus喋Fig. 3喌. The striking similarity between the Egyptian horusserekh喋Fig. 14喌and the Liángzhǔ bird-motif is indeed noteworthy in view of the connection between the bird-motifs and the earliest Egyptian and Mayan hieroglyphics. The bird-motif connection also reminds one of the famous Shāng legend that their founding ancestor Qì喋๽喌 was born after his mother Jiǎndí喋ㅍ⟰喌accidentally swallowed a swallow’s egg. A comment made by an official named Tánzǐ喋䘛ၼ喌in the Zuǒzhuàn喋 ȧጒ‫ן‬Ȩ 喏
Commentary of Zuǒ喌is also illuminating. In that story喏
Tánzi made a diplomatic visit to the State of Lǔ喋傛ష喌喏
the Lord of Lǔ asked Tánzi why喏
the Shǎohào Clan喋Shǎohào shì ᄽ⯊℻喌named official’s title after birds. Tánzi explained that since phoenix showed up at the time when their high ancestor Shǎohào喋ᄽ⯊喏
a legendary king around 2600 BCE喌established the clan喏
it became a tradition to name all nobles and officials after birds. Whether the Liángzhǔ bird-motif may have anything to do this story is unclear喏
but if the bird-motif signs were associated with the name of a lord or clan喏
they could be considered to be a candidate of proto-writing喏
just like the cases for Egyptian and Olmec protowritings. Taken together喏
the archeological evidence discussed above would support the notion that proto-writings might have existed in China around the second half of the third millennium. 喋2喌Textual Analysis The archeological evidence for the earliest Egyptian and Olmec-Mayan writings was the name of the king inscribed on pottery or other objects. Although we suspect that the Liángzhǔ and Dàwènkǒu táowén may represent the personal or clan name喏
there is no textual evidence to corroborate such notion. On the other hand喏
many ancient figures mentioned in the transmitted texts喏
coeval with the Shāng Dynasty or earlier喏
remain legendary because of a lack of archeological evidence of their existence. The discovery of the Shāng OBI provided archeological evidence for the existence of all Shāng kings and many high officials recorded in the Shǐjì喋ȧञ 㽄Ȩ 喌and the Zhúshū jìnián喋 ȧ〥ᰤ㈬ᎠȨ喌. Some of the pre-Shāng figures喏
like Dì Kù喋ፉ௟喌 喏
Qì喋๽喌喏
Zhāomíng喋᭙ᬺ喌 喏
Chāngruò喋ᬸ㠑喌 喏
and Míng喋‫ۑ‬喌喏
were also identified in the OBI scripts as the high ancestors. For example喏
Wáng Guówéi喋⢷ష㋙喌showed that the name graph  in OBI is equivalent to modern character kuí喋เ喌or náo喋฾喌喏
the name of Dì Kù喏
who was the father of Qì喏
the founder of the Shāng clan. The time of Dì Kù
was estimated to be around 2100 BCE喏
hence we can assume that the graph  could have existed that time. Similarly喏
the

Appendix 7

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

529

name graph  has been suggested to refer to Yáo喋൛喌 喏
a legendary king at the time ca. 2200 BCE. If indeed such correlation can be made喏
these OBI name graphs can be considered to be theĂfossil graphăof Chinese proto-writing that existed around 2000 BCE or earlier. 喋3喌Epigraphic Analysis The four original writings are all logographic喏
meaning that each word is composed of three elements: xíng喋ᒎ喏
shape喏
form喌喏
yì喋㓕喏
sense喏
meaning喌喏
yīn喋䴟喏
sound喏
phonetic喌. Among them喏
only Chinese writing remains logographic. The longevity and continuity of Chinese writing喏
from OBI to modern Chinese喏
is striking. This continuity of Chinese writing allows us to examine and analyze its epigraphic structure over a time span of 3000 years. Such analysis could provide clues on whether any epigraphic element exhibits a time-dependent change over that time span. If such element can be identified喏
its time-dependency should enable us to trace and extrapolate such change to a much earlier time point and thus may allow us to determine when did the genesis of Chinese writing occur. The term liùshū喋‫ ڙ‬ᰤ喏
six scripts喌was first mentioned in the Zhōu Lǐ喋ȧঔ ⻚ Ȩ喏
The Rite of Zhōu喏
ca. 500 BCE喌. But it was Xǔ Shèn喋㽝ᙺ喏
ca. 58ÿ147喌喏
the great philologist and lexicographer喏
who first proposed a systematic use of the six principles to analyze the Chinese writing. In the Shuōwén Jiězì喋ȧ㿘᪳㼏ႃȨ喌喏
the first comprehensive Chinese dictionary喏
he applied liùshū principles to analyze over 9000 Chinese characters. The six principles are:喋i喌xiàngxíng喋䆍ᒎ喏 imitating form喌喏pictograph;喋ii喌zhǐshì喋ᠳη喏
indicating event喌喏
simple ideogram expresses abstract idea through iconic form;喋iii喌huìyì喋ᰯ ᘻ喏
joining the meaning喌喏
syssemantograph喏
composite ideogram or associative compound that combines two or more pictograms or ideograms to create a compound with new meaning;喋iv喌jiǎjiè喋ճՋ喏
borrowing喏
rebus喌 喏
new word created by
form and borrowing another homophonous or near-homophonous graph;喋v喌xíngshēng喋ᒎ㖞喏 sound喌喏
phono-sematic or logosyllabic graphs created by combining a rebus for phonetic element with a determinative as the sematic element; and喋vi喌zhuǎnzhù喋䑵∔喏
reciprocal meaning喏
polyvalent喌 喏
a new word created with the same etymological root喏
but different meaning. According to these six principles Chinese scripts at any historical time can be grouped into two categories. Scripts in the first category are made of pictographs喋xiàng xíng 䆍ᒎ喌 喏
simple ideograms喋zhǐshì ᠳη喌 喏
or syssemantograph喋huìyì ᰯᘻ喌. Scripts in the second category are constructed according to one of the other three principles喏
namely喏
logosyllabic喋xíngshēng ᒎ㖞喌 喏
rebus喋jiǎjiè ճՋ喌 喏
or polyvalent喋zhuǎnzhù 䑵∔喌. The phonetic element can be clearly identified for graphs in the second category喏
but not for graphs in the first category. Viewed from the vintage point of these six principles喏
the genesis and development of Chinese writing during the past three millenniums can be illustrated in a flow diagram as shown in Fig. 17. The fusion of sound with a specific sign
signifies the transition from G喋+S喌to G喋+P喏
+S喌
and thus the genesis of writing. This critical step actually represents the first stage of writing development
wherein the phonetic element is implicated

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

530

and hence invisible. During this stage喏
pictograms and simple ideograms such as numerals喏
were created. In the second stage喏
phonetic element was introduced to allow development of lexical and grammatical terms necessary for matching the spoken language and for meeting more and more sophisticated societal demand. Archeological work during the past century has yielded rich corpus of Chinese scripts of different historical time period喏
including the OBI of late Shāng喋ca. 1300ÿ1100 BCE喌 喏
bronze vessel inscriptions of Shāng喏
Western Zhōu喋ca. 1100ÿ800 BCE喌 喏
Chūnqiū and Warring Period喋ca. 500ÿ300 BCE喌 喏
bamboo and silk scripts of Warring States and Qín喋ca. 300ÿ200 BCE喌. These scripts喏
together with the Shuōwén Jiězì of the Eastern Hàn喋ca. 100 CE喌and epigraphic analysis of scripts of Sòng Dynasty喋ca. 1100 CE喌 喏
allow us to trace the development of Chinese writing based on liùshū analysis over a three- millennium time span. Table 3 summarizes some representative data of this kind of analysis. A quick glance at Table 3 is sufficient to convince us that there is indeed a time-dependent change of epigraphic composition of Chinese scripts. For example喏
the percentage of pictographs喋xiàngxíng喌decreased from about 30% in the late Shāng to a meager 3% in the Sòng Dynasty. In contrast喏
the percentage of logosyllabic graphs喋xíngshēng喌increased from about 20% in late Shāng to about 90% in the Sòng Dynasty. As the scripts constructed via the principle of xíngshēng喏
jiǎjiè喏
and zhuǎn zhù all contain phonetic element喏
we decide to examine how the percentage of these scripts change over the past 3000 years. Specifically喏
we wish to see whether there is any correlation between the percentages and the time喏
and if so喏
what is the nature of the correlation? To do this we plot the data of epigraphic analysis as a function of time. Due to the slight discrepancy in the epigraphic analysis of OBI scripts among scholars喏
we made two separate plots to accommodate two sets of data喏
one from Li Xiàodìng喋ᱺ ႉ჆喌 喋Fig. 18喌 喏
the other from Zhāng zàixìng喋ᑡ‫ڹ‬㜴喌and Zhū qíxiáng喋ᱝₓ⺑喌 喋Fig. 19喌. Two observations can be made with these figures:喋i喌There is a linear increase of the percentage of category 2 graphs over the time span from the late Shāng to the Eastern Hàn; and喋ii喌this linear increase reached a plateau at about 1000 CE. The linear relationship as depicted in Fig. 18 allows the use of extrapolation method to estimate the beginning date of the second stage of writing development to be about 2500 BCE. However喏
if we used the data set shown in Fig. 19喏
the intersection occurs at 2000 BCE. The discrepancy is due to the fact that Zhāng and Zhū assigned the percentage of loangraphs used in OBI as zero喋Table 3喌. Since the use of loangraphs in OBI has been demonstrated by a number of paleographers喏
we feel that the date of 2000 BCE喋Fig. 19喌is an underestimate. Based on these considerations we propose that the beginning of the second stage in Chinese writing development 喋i.e. the introduction of identifiable phonetic elements into scripts喌occurred somewhere between 2500 BCE and 2000 BCE. In other words喏
proto-writings喋i.e. writings without identifiable phonetic elements in the scripts喌would have already existed during this time period. If this is the case喏
the invention of Chinese writing in the form of proto-writing喋i.e. beginning of the first stage喌would have occurred around or before 2500 BCE. This time frame喏
from 2500ÿ2000

Appendix 7

531

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

BCE喏
coincides with the dawn of the Chinese national memory. It is no wonder that the name graphs of some legendary heroes in this time period survived in OBI. It is also noteworthy that graph-strings appeared in the Dàwènkǒu and Liángzhǔ culture sites dated to this time period. 5BCMF

&QJHSBQIJD
BOBMZTJT
PG
$IJOFTF
XSJUJOH 5JNF

～
#$& 
#$& 
#$& ～
#$& ～
#$&

Source

OBI

OBI

OBI

References

Lǐ Xiàodìng

Zhāng Zàixìng

Zhū Qíxiáng

Xiàngxíng 喋pictograph喌

23

28.3

28.99

zhǐshì 喋indicative喌

2

huìyì 喋syssematograph喌

32

zhuǎnzhù 喋polyvalent喌

BI


#$&


$&

BI喋Western Qín Bamboo Eastern Hàn Shuōwén Zhōu喌 Strips


$& Sòng

Zhāng Zàixìng

Zhū Jùnshēng

Zhèng Qiáo

10.5

4

3

2.2

1

0.4

24.6

12

3

0

0

1.5

jiǎjiè 喋loangraph喌

11

1

2.5

xíngshēng 喋phonetic-sematic喌

27

21.7

19.8

56.3

41.5

62.5

81

90

phonetic element %

38

22

20

56

42

63

82

93

Zhù Mǐnshēn Zhāng Zàixìng

23.2

2.99

45.8

46.5

35.1


4$3*15
$0/4536$5*0/
0'
03*(*/"-
83*5*/(4 4VNFSJBO
8SJUJOH

The proto-Sumerian writings were highly pictographic. But due to the use of stylus reed and clay as writing tool喏
Sumerian writing soon became more stylistic and abstract喋Fig. 20A喌. The following shows how a wordĂheadăchanged from pictograph to an abstract cuneiform script.

Sumerian also used the method of huìyì喋ᰯᘻ喌to construct new words. For example喏
they combined the graphĂheadăwith the graphĂbowlăto form a new word denotingĂto eatăor喏
more generally喏 Ăto
consumeă 喋Fig. 20B喌. By 2800 BCE喏
Sumerian had already used signs to represent syllables. For example喏 Ăbarleyă
喏
pronounced as še喏
was written with a pictograph

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

532

in 3000 BCE. This graph was then used as a syllable with sound value of še. The invention of syllables allows a writing to more accurately represent spoken language. The difficulty in using stylus to draw pictogram on a clay is probably a major reason that facilitated the phonetization of Sumerian writing. &HZQUJBO
8SJUJOH

Egyptian hieroglyphic writing was logographic and highly pictographic. By the time around 2700 BCE喏
some signs differentiated into syllables. By the time of Middle Kingdom喋2030ÿ 1640 BCE喌there were 24 one-consonant signs and over 70 bi- and tri-consonant signs. Although Egyptian language could be expressed syllabically with these consonant signs喏
the writing remained logographic till its end. The graph used to identify the nature of each word is called determinative. For example喏
the Egyptian word forĂthe nubile young womanăwas written as

This Egyptian hieroglyphic word consists of five signs: is a tri-consonant sign with the sound value n-f-r. The first two of the three signs in the middle are 1-consonant signs for f and r respectively. They were used to indicate that the sign was used as a phonetic element. The third sign喏
pronounced as t喏
denotes feminine ending. The sign at the right喏
showing a young female喏
is a determinative. Together喏
these five signs constitute a word喏
which was pronounced as consists of three Ănefere-teă 喏
meaningĂyoung ladyă. Another example喏
the hieroglyphic word signs: the top one at the left signifiesĂhouseă喏
but it was used as a bi-consonant sign here with a phonetic vale of p-r; the bottom left is a one-consonant sign for r喏
which was used to indicate that theĂhouseăsign was to be read phonetically; the sign at right喏
which depicts two legs喏
is the determinative forĂwalking喏
movingă. Hence this word meansĂto leave喏
to walk outăand is pronounced as pe-re. Hieroglyphic writing is characterized by pictographic signs喏
a lack of clear division between words喏
and flexible use of the same graph for phonetic and semantic function. Fig. 21 is an example of Egyptian hieroglyphic writing that appeared in a tomb painting. The first line喏
a sentence of offering pray喏
consists of 19 signs喏
representing 8 hieroglyphic words. We marked the division of these eight words in line 2 and gave a word-by-word transliteration and translation in line 3 and 4喏
respectively. 0MNFD-.BZBO
8SJUJOH

Mayan hieroglyphic writing is logographic喏
or more precisely喏
logosyllabic. With the advancement of decipherment and the knowledge of Mayan dialects喏
it is now possible to compile an almost complete syllable list. Thus喏
theoretically喏
Mayan people could use spelling to write their spoken language. Nonetheless喏
Mayan also remained logosyllabic until its extinction. Mayan people constructed their writing by combining glyphs喏
which are either logograms or

Appendix 7

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

533

syllabograms喋i.e. signs used as syllables喌 喏
into glyph blocks as shown in Fig. 22. In general喏
the main glyph is a logogram or ideogram喏
and the other glyph signs serve phonetic or grammatical functions. Each glyph block may contain anywhere from 1 to 9 glyph signs. The following is an example to illustrate the construction of a glyph block.

The first glyph sign is a logogramĂCH’AMădepicting a hand and hence signifyingĂto grabă. Then a subfix for soundĂm喋a喌ăwas added at the bottom to indicate that the composite sign actually serves phonetic function only. On the other hand喏
if a prefixĂuă 喋for the third pronoun he or she喌and a subfixĂwaăare combined with theĂhandăglyph喏
the new glyph block becomes a verb喏
meaningĂhe/she grabsă. There are over 1500 glyph signs in Mayan writing system喏
some glyphs may have several different sound values and most syllables can be expressed by different glyphs. Moreover喏
a glyph block can be constructed with glyphs in different arrangement喏
making Mayan writing a very complicated system to master. An example of Mayan script copied from Yaxchilan Lintel 8 is given in Fig. 23 A. There are twelve glyph blocks that can be roughly divided into three sections:The four glyph blocks in the A column喏
A1 to A4喏
form the first section; the five glyph blocks喏
B1喏
C1喏
D1 to D3喏
form the second section; and the last three glyph blocks in E column喏
E1 to E3喏
form the third section. Each section is a short sentence. The corresponding word-by-word transliteration喋Fig. 23 B喌and translation喋Fig. 23 C喌are given underneath the Mayan script. Together喏
the script describes a victory of Lord Bird Jaguar IV and his governor Kan Tok Wayib in capturing two enemy chiefs喏
Jeweled Skull and Kote Ahaw. One can note that out of the twelve glyph blocks喏
six were used for personal names and two for titles.


$0/$-64*0/ Human communication relies on two separate and parallel tools: audio signals and visual symbols. Spoken language has been used for about 100,000 years and pictographic signs have existed for over 30,000 years. The genesis of writing began with the fusion of these two communication tools. A pictograph represents writing only if this pictograph can be shown to be associated with a specific sound value喏
even if we do not know what that sound is. All four original writings probably began with similar steps: First喏
within a defined culture area喏
picture drawings喏
pictographs and marks were used for recording and communication. Then喏
these pictographs and marks became iconic signs. Later喏
people started to associate certain sound with iconic signs. For example喏
the sound of personal names or clan’s name were associated with certain iconic signs. Once that happened喏
even only just a few logographs were created喏
it

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

534

signified the genesis of writing and began the first stage of writing development. As the society became more complex and advanced喏
some logographs were differentiated into logosyllables and thus could be used to directly represent specific sound. As such喏
these logosyllables could allow a better representation of spoken language. This step ushered the second stage of writing development that led to mature writing system. It seems fair to assume that the transition from iconic signs G:{+S} to logographic proto-writing G:{+P喏
+S} took place in ancient Egypt and Mesoamerica because of the need to record names of kings喏
places喏
and objects. The scorpion drawing shown on ancient Egyptian macehead and pottery vase喋Fig. 6喌was considered to be proto-writing because it was used as the name of a pharaoh. With regard to the Chinese writing喏
we do not have direct archeological evidence to date its origin. However喏
pottery signs喋drawing and marks喌were found over a vast area in China and their dating covered a long time span喏
from 6000 BCE to 2000 BCE. Whether any of these pottery signs could be considered as proto-writing remains to be determined. But if we can show that a particular pottery sign actually represented a proper name for a person or a place喏
then喏
that sign should qualify as a proto-writing. When one compares the signs on Dàwènkǒu pottery with that on the urns from U-j tomb喏
it is quite tempting to speculate that the Dàwènkǒu signs may have the same function as that on U-j pottery. This speculation is also substantiated by the following observations:喋i喌The sign is always at the same position of the urn喏
similar to that on the Shāng bronze ritual vessels;喋ii喌some of the signs were filled with red dye喏
a practice also found in the Shāng oracle bone inscriptions;喋iii喌some signs appeared at sites over hundreds miles apart喏
suggesting that these signs did carry information that was recognizable over a long distance;喋iv喌 some of the signs were composed of two or three component signs喏
consistent with the huìyì principle for constructing syssemantographs. As Dīnggōngcūn táowén and Nándàng táowén do not appear to be related to OBI喏
their existence would suggest that several different proto-writings could have co-existed in China around 2500ÿ2000 BCE. This possibility would pose an interesting question for future research喏
namely喏
how and why OBI survived the first stage of writing development to become a mature writing system. For textual evidence喏
I have argued that if the names of legendary figures found in ancient texts喋such as Dì Kù ፉ௟喏
Yáo ൛喏
and ๽ Qì喌could be identified in OBI喏
then these name graphs represent the rare fossil scripts that have survived from the time of ca. 2200 BCE to the Shāng time. The existence of such name graphs in OBI implies that proto-writings existed in China at 2200 BCE. Finally喏
the etymological analysis of scripts over a time span of 3000 years has yielded a linear model of development of Chinese writing喋Figs. 18 and 19喌. This model would suggest that the transition of Chinese writing from proto-writing喋stage 1喌to writing system喋stage 2喌occurred around 2500ÿ2000 BCE. Together喏
the archeological data喏
textual evidence喏
and etymological analysis are all consistent with the notion that proto-writings have

Appendix 7

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

535

already existed in China in the second half of the third millennium BCE.


."+03
3&'&3&/$&4 This article is based on the following two papers: On the origin of Kuang Yu Chen喋2008喌喏 ȧ㾒䀂⑎ႃ䊣⎼჆吊㜳͂⩸ऐ᪳ႃ⏛⎼℀䐯Ȩ
Chinese writing and comparison with other original writings喏
Wén Bó喏
4喏
26ÿ34.喋in Chinese喌 The origin of the four Kuang Yu Chen喋2008喌喏 ȧ͂⩸ఇ⽚ऐ᪳ႃ⮰䊣⎼᭮⾦㜳᪳ႃ㉼ỷȨ
original writings喏
time喏
space and structure喏
Gŭwénzì Yánjiū喋Journal of Paleography喌喏
27喏
1ÿ15.喋in Chinese喌 The data used in Table 3 came from the work of Li Xiaoding, Zhang Zaixing, Zhu Qixiang, Zhu Mingshen, Zhu Junsheng, and Zheng Qiao. For references to their work see the above two articles. The following two books are useful in discussing the origin and comparative studies of writings: Stephen Houston喋edit喌喏
The First WritingÿScript Invention as History and Process 喋2004喌喏
Cambridge University Press喏
2004喏
pp. 1ÿ417. Gōng Yùshū喏
Yán H iyīng喏
Gě Yīnghuì喏 ȧ㬳
㒺 ❪ȟ ೯ ࣶ ࣶ ͙ ష ऐ ᪳ ႃ ℀ 䐯 ⵀ ⾢ Ȩ Comaparative Study of Sumerian Egyptian and Chinese Paleographs喏
Kēxué Publisher喏
Beijing喏
2009喏
pp. 1ÿ352. The following books are useful for beginners to learn how to read ancient writings: Michael D
Coe and Mark van Stone喏Reading The Maya Glyphs喏
Thames & Hudson Ltd.喏
London喏
2001喏
pp. 1ÿ176. Mark Collier and Bill Manley喏
How to Read Egyptian Hieroglyphs喏
University of California Press喏
Ltd.喏
1998喏
pp. 1ÿ179.

536

Fig. 1

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Genesis of writing from painting and signs. Signs became graph喋G喌if they

contain theĂsenseăelement喋G:{+S}喌. Graphs became proto-writing喋G:{+P喏+S}喌only if a phonetic element is introduced into a graph. The invention of proto-writing in human history signified the genesis of writing and set the stage for the development of writing system

Appendix 7

Fig. 2

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

Sumerian proto-cuneiform from Uruk ca. 3300 BCE

537

538

Fig. 3

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Pottery urn喋height = 55 cm喌with etched pictograph from U-j tomb

Appendix 7

Fig. 4

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

539

Standard Pharaonic insignia. This iconic pharaonic insignia was used during

Dynasty 0 to Dynasty 3 by the ruling pharaoh. The top half of serekh represents the palace courtyard喏where the pharaohăs name will be placed. The bottom half represents the front palace façade. Horus喏the protector and patron of the ruling pharaoh喏stood at the top of serekh rectangle

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

540

Fig. 5

Narmer Palette. The two graphs forĂnarăandĂmerăwere identified in the serekh at

the top of the palette

Appendix 7

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

541

Fig. 6 喋A喌Inscribed drawing about PharaohĂScorpianăon a macehead喞喋B喌Wavyhandled pots with inscriptions from tomb U-j at Abydos

542

Fig. 7

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Samples of bone tags of Naqada IIIa period unearthed from U-j tombs at Abydos

Appendix 7

Fig. 8

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

543

Epi-Olmecăs La Mojarra Stele discovered in 1986. The epi-Olmec scripts were used

between 500 BCE to 500 CE

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

544

Fig. 9

Bird iconic inscription on a cylindrical seal dated ca. 650 BCE

Appendix 7

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

545

Fig.10 喋A喌Olmec icons recording places or emblems喞 喋B喌Inscriptions on Cascajal block discovered in 1999

546

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Fig. 11 喋A喌Dàwènk u pottery urn with an incised markĂdă喞喋B喌Eight different inscriptions from different Dàwènk u pottery urns

Appendix 7

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

547

Fig. 12 喋A喌A Liángzh black pottery from Chénghú喋⒰⎂喌喏Wú County喋ॠ㍏喌with four inscriptions喞喋B喌Close view of the four graphs

548

Fig. 13 The composite bird-motif sign on Liángzh jade disks

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Appendix 7

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

549

Fig. 14 喋A喌The composite bird-motif signs of Liángzh jade disks喞喋B喌The Horusserekh signs of Egyptian pharaohs

550

Fig 15

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Pottery inscriptions unerarthed from D ngg ngc n喏Sh nd ng喋2200ÿ2100 BCE喌

Appendix 7

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

551

Fig. 16 喋A喌The partially broken pottery vessel unearthed from Táosì site with signs painted with vermilion pigment喞喋B喌The two signs on this vessel

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

552

ూ‫׻‬ 1JDUVSF

ᒎ㖞

YŀOHTIķOH

䆍ᒎ

YJĤOHYŀOH

ᰯᘻ

㿊䴟

IVĸZĸ

TPVOE

ᠳη

㽄㮋

[IĺTIĸ

Ջ䴟 SFCVT

ճՋ KJġKJľ

䑵∔

[IVġO[Iň

NBSL

Fig. 17

A two-stage model of the genesis and development of Chinese writing based on

the liùshū principle

Appendix 7

Fig. 18

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

553

Linear model 1 of the development of Chinese writing system. The percentage of

phonetic component in Chinese scripts increased as a linear function of the chronological time from Sh ng Dynasty喋1300 BCE喌to East Hàn Dynasty喋100 CE喌

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

554

Fig. 19

Linear model 2 of the development of Chinese writing system. Although different

sets of data were used喏the percentage of phonetic component in Chinese scripts still increased as a linear function of the chronological time from Sh ng Dynasty喋1300 BCE喌 to East Hàn Dynasty喋100 CE喌

Appendix 7

Fig. 20

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

555

Sumerian cuneiform writing.喋A喌Change from pictograms to cuneiforms during

the development of Sumerian writing system喞喋B喌Example of the construction of a Sumerian syssemantograph using the huìyì principle

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

556

Fig. 21

A sentence of prayer from the stela BM EA 587 from the tomb of Amenemhet喏ca.

1900 BCE. The first line reproduces the hieroglyphic inscriptions as inscribed on the stela; the second line shows the hieroglyphic inscriptions are grouped into eight words; the third line is transliteration of the hieroglyphic inscriptions喏and the last line is the English translation

Appendix 7

Brief Introduction to Four Original Writings

557

Fig. 22 喋A喌Standard Maya glyph block喞喋B喌Formation of a glyph block using various combination of glyphs

558

Fig. 23

Reading of Shāng Inscriptions

Mayan text found on Yaxchilan Lintel 8.喋A喌Twelve glyph blocks identified by

the column and row positions喞喋B喌A partial transliteration of the glyph blocks with the sequence from A1喏A2喏. . . to E1喏E2喏E3喞喋C喌The English translation of the Maya text