• Oracle Bones ⤓ .md 2026-07-13T062546.818 000000000000704
  **Origin.** Shang dynasty (c. 1250–1046 BCE), China. Diviners used turtle plastrons (belly shells) and ox scapulae (shoulder blades) to consult ancestors and spirits on royal decisions. Thousands of inscribed bones survive — the earliest substantial Chinese writing.