Yinxu Oracle Bone Studies: Leading You into the World of Oracle Bone Script

Author: Ma Rusan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: This book is divided into two parts, providing a detailed explanation of the earliest Chinese writing system with a relatively complete structure—Oracle Bone Script. The first part covers the fundamental theories of Oracle Bone Studies, explaining aspects such as the excavation of oracle bones, the discovery of oracle bone script and its significant meaning, to the recording of oracle bones, research on bone plates, assembly, divination tools, the positions and interpretation methods of inscriptions, classification, content, dating, and writing of divination texts, accompanied by 108 original rubbings and charts. The second part includes concise explanations of the 1,056 recognizable characters of oracle bone script in terms of their forms, sounds, and meanings. The forms are drawn from the original rubbings at actual size, and the pronunciations are based on modern Chinese Pinyin, with annotations of ancient phonetic initials and rhyme parts. The character explanations analyze the structural composition of the characters, explore their original meanings, and cite interpretations from Shuowen Jiezi. The meanings of divination texts are explained item by item, with examples of divination texts provided. Organized according to the radical system of Shuowen Jiezi, it is divided into 14 volumes. An "Stroke Index" and a "Pinyin Index" are also included.
Key Features of the Book: Among similar works, it presents a novel format with rich content, both elaborating on the fundamental theories of Oracle Bone Studies and providing directly usable single characters of oracle bone script. It holds academic and practical value for the study of Chinese characters and Oracle Bone Studies.