Sacrificial offering scene matching Shang culture. Shang dynasty inscriptions on oracle bones record only two things: sacrificial offerings and divination Petroglyph shows animal sacrifice with arrow and ritual vessel Bronze vessels from Shang dynasty royal tombs contained human hair and sacrificial remains
Shang dynasty royal tombs contained human sacrificial victims, and bronze vessels were used in ritual contexts. Shang dynasty inscriptions on oracle bones recorded divination, ritual activities, and communications with royal ancestors, nature deities, and powerful spirits, along with other matters like military campaigns, harvests, and legal matters. Sanxingdui bronze culture, contemporaneous with late Shang, also practiced ritual sacrifice as revealed in sacrificial burial pits. Shang dynasty used turtle and ox scapula bones for divination, practices well-documented in archaeological findings.
Key Facts
- Shang dynasty inscriptions on oracle bones record only two things: sacrificial offerings and divination
- Petroglyph shows animal sacrifice with arrow and ritual vessel
- Bronze vessels from Shang dynasty royal tombs contained human hair and sacrificial remains
- Shang dynasty used turtle bones for divination because turtles symbolized communication with ancestors
- Panel shows living king kneeling to worship deceased father with turtle as medium between them
Source: Ancient Symbols: Bridging China and the Americas Through Rock Art | A conversation with Vi Duo by Institute for Natural Philosophy