Editor's note: Confirmed by historic documents, archaeological excavations and oracle bone inscriptions as the capital site of the late Shang Dynasty (1600-1046 BC), Yinxu or the Yin Ruins is usually regarded as the cornerstone of the project on tracing the origins of Chinese civilization launched by China in 2001. As a key component of world civilization, Yinxu has provided solid evidence for the continuity and pluralistic and integrated pattern of Chinese civilization, and was inscribed in the UNESCO world cultural heritage list in 2006. Together with oracle bone inscriptions, Yinxu has extended recorded Chinese history to nearly 1,000 years earlier than previously believed. Starting on October 25, we, together with HICC and Yinxu scenic spot, are launching a series of videos about Yinxu to help you gain a deeper understanding of it. Here is the 2nd episode: Oracle Bone Inscriptions - The Earliest Writing System in China.
编者按：作为中国历史上第一个有文献记载并为考古发掘与甲骨文所证实的都城遗址，殷墟是中华文明探源工程的原点和基石，是中华文明连续不断、多元一体的重要实证，也是世界文明史中重要一环，2006年被列入《世界遗产名录》。殷墟及甲骨文的重大发现把中国信史向前推进了近千年。为更好讲述中国故事、让世界读懂中国，10月25日起，河南国际传播中心、大河网联合安阳殷墟景区共同推出“走进殷墟”双语系列报道。今日推出第2期：《甲骨文：世界了解中华文明的“信使”》。
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The inscriptions carved on turtle shells and ox bones in the Shang Dynasty are known as oracle bone inscriptions, bringing recorded Chinese history nearly 1,000 years earlier than previously believed. They constitute the first fully-developed writing system in China. Most of the inscribed oracle bones were discovered at Yinxu in Xiaotun village of Anyang city, Central China's Henan province. On the about 150 thousand pieces of oracle bones unearthed at Yinxu are approximately 5 thousand separate characters. The content mainly pertains to divination, apart from some for keeping records. Oracle bone inscriptions recorded rituals, wars, astronomy, weather, agriculture, craft production, commerce, transportation, etc., at that time, becoming the earliest written records in China.
殷商时期刻在龟甲兽骨上的文字叫甲骨文，是中国最早成体系的文字，把中国信史向前推进了近千年。刻字甲骨主要发现在安阳殷墟一带，迄今为止，已发现甲骨约15万片，单字约5千个，除记事文字外，内容多为占卜记录。甲骨文记录了殷商时期祭祀、战争、天文、气象、农业、手工业、商业、交通等内容，是中国最早的文字史料。（赵汉青 杨佳欣）