Manifold and splendid: 120 Years of research on the oracle bone inscriptions and Shang history

Abstract

It has been 120 years since the discovery of the oracle bones in 1899, which not only confirmed the existence of the Shang dynasty, but also provided first-hand materials for the study of history of the Shang. In this article, the author divides the 120 years of Shang history into three stages by looking at important discoveries in oracle-bone materials and their compilation. In the first phase, from 1899 to 1927, the oracle bones used were all non-scientific excavated materials, represented by Sun Yirang, Wang Guowei, and Luo Zhenyu. In the second stage, from 1928 to 1977, the oracle bone material entered the scientific discovery stage, represented by Dong Zuobin, Hu Houxuan, and Guo Moruo. In the third stage, from 1978 to the present, the study of the history of the Shang dynasty made considerable progress with the publication of the oracle bones collection and the improvement of recording methods, represented by the works of Qiu Xigui and Li Xueqin.