Yinxu, China (Go to Anyang to learn about the Shang Dynasty civilization)

Author: Yang Shangqing, Du Jiuming (editors)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: On July 13, 2006, at the 30th session of the World Heritage Committee, the Yin Ruins was officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming China's 33rd World Heritage site. As one of the most significant archaeological discoveries in China in the 20th century, the Yin Ruins is the site where the earliest known systematic Chinese writing system—oracle bone script—was found. It is also the birthplace of the largest bronze ding, the Simuwu Great Ding, and the only documented Shang Dynasty capital site in China that has been confirmed through archaeological excavations. It comprehensively and systematically showcases the urban landscape of the Shang Dynasty in China 3,300 years ago, yielding an astonishing number of exquisite artifacts such as bronze vessels, oracle bones, jade objects, and bone tools, making it a precious cultural heritage of humankind. The excavations at the Yin Ruins confirmed the existence of the Shang Dynasty in China, transforming traditional historical records of the Shang period into reliable history.