The Dynamic World of Ritual: Oracle Bone Divination Practices in East Asia

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Resources and Society in Ancient China" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

Oracle bone divination, an ancient East Asian practice for predicting the future, originated in northwestern China during the middle Neolithic period (5000–3000 BCE) and ultimately became a prominent ritual during the late Neolithic and early Bronze Age. Its influence reached the Korean Peninsula and Japanese archipelago around 500 BC, potentially via terrestrial and maritime routes. This divination method significantly shaped the cultures and belief systems of ancient East Asian societies. Long-distance transmission prompted technological and cultural adaptations, revolutionizing religious beliefs and divination practices. Simultaneously, the collapse of ritual traditions and the establishment of new authorities, on the other hand, were miniatures of community politics. The way diviners practice divination as well as their control of related knowledge play an essential role in the emergence of early East Asian states.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Resources and Society in Ancient China   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

Keywords

Spatial Coverage

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 38590.0