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 4th episode: Oracle Bone Pit - The Earliest Library and Archive 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、大河网联合殷墟景区共同推出“走进殷墟”双语系列报道。今日推出第4期：《甲骨窖穴：中国最早的图书馆和档案库》。
Click on the video above
On 12 June, 1936, the No. YH127 oracle bone pit was discovered during the 13th excavation at Yinxu. The pit is evenly shaped and contains over 17,000 pieces of oracle bones, the largest number of oracle bones ever unearthed at Yinxu, providing scholars studying oracle bone inscriptions and Shang Dynasy a wealth of valuable materials. The discovery is of great significance for studying oracle bone inscriptions. Writing is the most important carrier of civilization. The No. YH127 pit has greatly enriched the materials of oracle bone inscription study and brought the study of ancient Chinese characters to a peak. Therefore, the No. YH127 pit is widely known as "China's earliest oracle bone archive" and "Shang people's storehouse of textual treasures". It is really a miracle in the history of oracle bone inscription study.
1936年6月12日，在殷墟第13次考古发掘中，考古工作者发现了YH127甲骨窖穴。它形状规整，共出土刻辞甲骨17000余片，是殷墟历次科学发掘以来出土甲骨最多的一次，为甲骨文和殷商历史文化的研究提供了宝贵资料，在甲骨学史上具有重要意义。文字是文明最重要的载体，YH127甲骨窖穴的发现，极大丰富了甲骨学的研究内容，把对古文字的研究推向了高峰。因此，YH127甲骨窖穴也被誉为“中国最早的甲骨文档案库”和“殷人保存典册的府库”，是甲骨学史上的一大奇迹。（赵汉青 杨佳欣）