Oracle bones are ancient Chinese artifacts used for divination during the Shang Dynasty, consisting of animal bones or turtle shells inscribed with questions posed to ancestral spirits. These bones were heated until they cracked, and the patterns of the cracks were interpreted by diviners as answers from the gods, revealing insights about future events, agricultural practices, and royal decisions. The inscriptions on oracle bones are also among the earliest forms of Chinese writing, linking them to the development of Chinese culture and the Bronze Age.
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