Amazing Oracle Bone Scripts | Wheat and Harvest in Oracle Bone Inscriptions

An old Chinese saying goes, “芒种忙，三两场”, (the busiest harvest season for farmers is Grain in Ear). The Solar Term of Grain in Ear is on June 5th, as one of the twenty-four solar terms according to the traditional Chinese calendar. In ancient times, Grain in Ear was an important period for wheat harvesting. Although modern agricultural machinery now plays a significant role, in Henan—the “Granary of Central China”—wheat harvesting during Grain in Ear is approaching to the end.

“芒种忙，三两场。”6月5日，是二十四节气中的芒种。传统农耕时代，芒种正是紧张的麦收时节，而在各类农机唱主角的当下，到了芒种，“中原粮仓”河南的麦收已经接近尾声。

Henan, as the largest wheat-producing province in China, accounts for approximately one-fourth of the national wheat yield. The history of wheat cultivation in Henan dates back thousands of years, with archaeological evidence of charred wheat grains from over 4,000 years ago, which is vividly depicted in oracle bone inscriptions.

河南是全国小麦生产第一大省，产量约占全国的四分之一。河南种植小麦的历史悠久，不仅考古发现了距今4000多年的炭化麦粒，而且甲骨文中记录有小麦的生动形象。

Record of “食麦  (eating wheat)” in Oracle Bone Inscriptions

甲骨文中有“食麦”的记载

The Oracle Bone inscription for the character “麦” vividly depicts the appearance of wheat, with its roots, stems and leaves in maturity, and the wheat awns pointing straight out. Dr. Yu Chenglong, the Commissioner for Cultural Heritage, Relics Protection, and Archaeological Research at Anyang Municipal Bureau of Cultural Relics, said in an interview.

“甲骨文中的‘麦’字，形象地描绘了麦子的模样，根、茎、叶完备，且麦芒直刺。”安阳市文物局文化遗产与文物保护及考古研究专员于成龙博士在接受记者采访时说。

In Oracle bone inscriptions, the character “麦” (wheat) is composed of “来” and “夊.” “来” represents the initial form of the character and serves as a phonetic component. “夊” depicts a person’s foot, conveying the meaning of walking. “麦” (wheat) is the main food crops in northern China, including wheat, barley, oats, and rye, etc.

甲骨文中的“麦”从“来”从“夊”。“来”是麦字的初文，为声符；“夊”为“人的足部”，有行走之意。“麦”，是我国北方地区主要粮食作物，主要包括小麦、大麦、燕麦、黑麦等。

Yu Chenglong indicates that Oracle Bone inscriptions not only contain the character for “麦” (wheat),but also keep tracks of the custom of “食麦 (eating wheat)” . In the early 20th century, a partially broken scapula handle from a cow was unearthed at the Anyang Yin ruins, which traced back to the reign of the Emperors Zu Geng and Zu Jia in Shang Dynasty. The inscription on the bone reads, “月一正，曰食麦”. The phrase “月一正” refers to the first month, also known as “孟春之月 (the first month of spring)” in ancient texts. The term “曰食麦 (eating wheats)” can be found in the “《礼记·月令》(Book of Rites)”, which describes the celestial phenomena, seasonal changes, and various decrees for each month, incorporating them into the “Five Elements” system. The text also lists suitable foods for each season: in Spring, people should eat wheat and lamb; in Summer, people should eat beans and chicken; in Autumn, people should eat hemp and dog-meat; in Winter, millet and pork are suggested. The two historical evidences tell the same story of eating wheat in ancient China.

于成龙说，甲骨文中不仅有“麦”字，而且记载有“食麦”的习俗。20世纪初，安阳殷墟出土一残断牛右肩胛骨柄，时代属于商王祖庚、祖甲时期，骨上刻辞，其拓片著录于《甲骨文合集》。该骨刻辞中首辞云：“月一正，曰食麦。”“月一正”，意即一月、正月，典籍中又名“孟春之月”；“食麦”一词，见于《礼记·月令》。《礼记·月令》分述每月之天象、物候及各项政令，并将其纳入“五行”体系。文中又记四季所宜食物：孟春之月、仲春之月、季春之月“食麦与羊”，孟夏之月、仲夏之月、季夏之月“食菽与鸡”，孟秋之月、仲秋之月、季秋之月“食麻与犬”，孟冬之月、仲冬之月、季冬之月“食黍与彘”。其中，孟春之月、仲春之月、季春之月“食麦与羊”，与上列商王祖庚、祖甲时期牛右肩胛骨柄刻辞“月一正，曰食麦”，两者所述事例相似。

Yu Chenglong also narrated that, in the oracle bone inscriptions of the Shang Dynasty, several cereal crops have been identified, including grain, millet, wheat, rice and sorghum. Within the crops, different varieties have been cultivated. For instance, “黍(millet)”is divided into sticky and non-sticky varieties. However, due to the limitation of the historical record, it is not encompassed all agricultural products of that time since oracle bone inscriptions were used just for divination by the Shang royal family and nobilities. Moreover, the extant Oracle Bone inscriptions are incomplete, suggesting that the actual variety of crops during the Shang Dynasty was even more diverse than those of the inscriptions revealed. The identification of these cereal crops in Oracle Bone inscriptions has also been corroborated through field archaeology in Henan.

于成龙介绍，在商代甲骨文中，目前至少已经发现“禾”“黍”“麦”“稻”及“高粱”等粮食作物。同一类作物，已培育出不同品种，如“黍”即存在“黏”与“不黏”两个品种。殷墟出土甲骨文是商王室及贵族的占卜记录，内容具有较大局限性，其中所载农作物并非当时全部。而且，我们现在发现的甲骨文也并不完整，商王朝的实际农作物品种应该比甲骨文所载更加丰富。我们目前在甲骨文中发现的这些粮食作物，在河南的田野考古发掘中也得到实物验证。

In 1981, a pottery vessel from the Erlitou Culture Phase II was discovered at the Erlitou site. The vessel depicts a realistic image of a rice plant, with six awns and two leaves in maturity. In 1990, another pottery vessel from the Erlitou Culture Phase III was unearthed at the same site. This vessel features an engraving of a cluster of wheatears withwell-filled grains and longer awns. These artistic creations not only adorn daily life but also reflect the presence of staple crops like wheat and rice in the lives of ancient people. Charred remains of millet, wheat, and barley had also been found at the Yin ruins in Anyang, Henan Province. Based on oracle bone inscriptions and archaeological evidence from the Shang Dynasty, it is confirmed that traditional Chinese crops—known as “五谷 (five grains, namely millet, proso millet, rice, wheat, and soybeans)”—were already planted at that time.

1981年在二里头遗址采集到一件二里头文化二期的陶尊，该器腹部刻画着一穗水稻，计有六个带芒的稻粒，两片叶子，形象极其逼真。1990年，在二里头遗址出土一件二里头文化三期陶尊，该器刻画着一簇麦穗，籽粒饱满，芒刺较长。这无疑是当时人们的艺术创作，用以装扮美化生活，从另一个侧面也折射出“小麦”“水稻”之类的粮食作物已进入当时人们的日常生活。在河南安阳殷墟遗址中，也多次发现“粟”“小麦”及“黍”的炭化遗存。综合有关商代甲骨文记载及田野考古发现，可以确知，我国传统的农作物品种，即所谓“五谷”——“黍、稷、稻、麦、菽”，商王朝均已种植。

Wheat as the staple food in the northern China during the Tang and Song Dynasty

唐宋时麦子成为北方主食

According to the prevailing academic view, the world's first wheat grain originated in West Asia and spread across the world. Early wheat remains in China were primarily found in the western regions. In January 2008, wheat remnants dating back over 4,000 years were unearthed at the Xijincheng site in Bo' ai County, Henan. Alongside these findings, charred remains of millet, proso millet, rice, and soybeans were also discovered through flotation. By the late Xia Dynasty, wheat had already spread to Songshan area.

按照目前的主流学术观点，世界上的第一粒小麦从西亚出发，传播到世界各地。我国早期小麦遗存，主要分布在西部地区。2008年1月，河南博爱县西金城遗址中出土了4000多年前的小麦遗存，同时浮选出的还有粟、黍、水稻和大豆等的炭化遗存。到了夏代晚期，小麦已传入环嵩山地区。

Plenty of references on wheat can be found in ancient Chinese literature.《诗经》 (The Book of Songs) contains phrases like “禾麻菽麦 (grains,hemp, soybeans, and wheat)”, “硕鼠硕鼠，无食我麦 (the plump rat, the plump rat, donot eat my wheat)”, and “我行其野，芃芃其麦 (I walk through the fields, wherethe wheat grows thickly)”. 《左传》(Commentaryon Spring and Autumn annals by Zuo Qiuming) records a story in the early Spring and Autumn period in Henan about the royal family of Zhou and the state of Zheng. In April of that year, the Duke Zhuang of Zheng dispatched the minister Jizu to harvest wheat in Wen region within the Eastern Zhou royal domain. The records indicate that during the Spring and Autumn period, wheat was cultivated in the middle and lower valleys of the Yellow River, and winter wheat was already grown, partially alleviating food shortages.

我国古代文献中有麦子的身影。《诗经》中有“禾麻菽麦”“硕鼠硕鼠，无食我麦”“我行其野，芃芃其麦”等诗句。《左传》记载了春秋初期的一则故事，故事的发生地在河南，当事方是周王室与郑国，这一年四月，郑庄公派郑卿祭足率领军队收割东周王畿内温地的麦子。文献记载表明，春秋战国时期，黄河中下游流域已栽培小麦，且已开始种植宿麦即冬小麦了，这在一定程度上缓解了粮食青黄不接的问题。

Scholars noticed a strange phenomenon that the ancient Chinese seemed not to enjoy eating wheat, despite the fact that wheat had been cultivated in China quite early.

在研究中，学者们发现了一个奇怪的现象，尽管小麦很早就开始在中国种植，但是，古人似乎并不喜欢吃小麦。

Zhou Ligang, a researcher at the Henan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, explained that although in early days of northern China millet was the main food for people, the transformation of dietary habit needed a long process. Another fact was related to the grain processing technology. In early days of China, the dietary habit was to eat whole grains by way of steaming and boiling. After being steamed and boiled, millet became relatively sticky and soft. As the emergence of wheat-milling method in the Han Dynasty, the way of eating wheat changed to “粉食(powdered food)”, which refers to the consumption of wheat after ground into flour. The milled flour tastes much better with more versatile ways of consumption. Research indicates that during the Han Dynasty, wheat gradually gained prominence as a staple food among residents of the Central Plains. Although it didn’t replace millet as the primary staple, the influence of wheat became evident. During the Tang and Song periods, wheat was recognized as the staple food for northern residents.

河南省文物考古研究院研究员周立刚解释说，中国北方人早期以小米为主食，饮食习惯的改变需要一个漫长的过程。还有一个原因和粮食加工技术有关，中国早期饮食习惯是“粒食”，蒸煮整粒的粮食。小米蒸煮口感比较糯软，麦子整粒蒸煮食用口感略硬，并不好吃。汉代石磨出现之后，小麦的食用方式有了改变，出现了“粉食”，也就是小麦磨成粉之后食用。小麦磨成粉之后，不仅口感明显变好，食用方式也多样化。研究表明，汉代小麦在中原居民主食中的比例普遍增加，虽然仍未取代小米的主食地位，但其影响已经明显可见。到唐宋时期，小麦已经成为北方居民的主食了。

Zhou Ligang emphasized that multiple reasons can explain the replacement of millet by wheat as the staple food. Wheat, especially winter wheat, is planted in autumn and harvested in spring, which can complement and save time with millet. Therefore, the government positively promotes the cultivation of winter wheat. The transformation of main grains has not only had a profound impact on the traditional agriculture and people’s lifestyles in northern China, but also brought about a series of changes in agricultural production models, grain processing methods, dietary cooking habits, and so on. Thus, the transformation of main grains from millet to wheat has profound significance for the development of social and cultural development in northern China.

周立刚强调说，小麦取代小米成为主食原因是多方面的。小麦尤其是冬小麦是秋种春收，和小米的春种秋收，可以相互补充、救急，因此政府大力推广冬小麦的种植。主粮变迁，不仅对中国北方农业传统和人们生活方式造成了深远的影响，也带来了农业生产模式、粮食加工方式、饮食烹煮习惯等一系列的改变，因此由粟到小麦的主粮变迁对于中国北方社会文化的发展有着深远意义。（中文来源/河南日报 记者/张体义 英文编译/许颖 英文审校/焦丹）