A Study on the range and formal characteristics of ZhanCi in Yinxu Huadong Oracle bone inscriptions

A comparative analysis of 'Huadong oracle bone inscriptions' from the Shang dynasty's Yin Xu site reveals that these inscriptions, unlike royal counterparts, lack prophecies of good ('Ji') or bad ('Buji') fortune, instead featuring predominantly 'free-form prophecies.' The study identified 45 distinct oracle bones as 'ZhanCi,' confirming their range and formal characteristics. Notably, all 'Huadong' ZhanCi were found to be recorded with 'Mingci' on the same side of the oracle bone, a pattern not observed in royal inscriptions. This research, based on the 2003 publication 'Yinxu Huayuanzhuang Dongdi Jiagu,' provides new insights into the formal and functional distinctions between non-royal and royal oracle bone inscriptions from this period.

Lee, M. Y. (2023). A Study on the range and formal characteristics of ZhanCi in Yinxu Huadong Oracle bone inscriptions. Korea Journal of Chinese Linguistics, 104, 63–96. https://doi.org/10.38068/kjcl.104.3