Foundations of Eastern Civilization | The Shang and Writing for the Gods (Lecture 5)

Lecture 5: In the early 20th century, archaeological excavations uncovered some 20,000 oracle bones—fragments of bone and shell bearing markings that seemed to be some form of ancient Chinese writing. Once the inscriptions on the fragments were deciphered, scholars realized that they were priceless records of the divinations performed for or by various ancient royal households. In this lecture, we’ll discuss the insights provided by the oracle bones on the origins of Chinese writing. We will then consider some of the translations of the oracle bones in terms of the evidence they provide for Shang religious practice and social organization. Finally, we’ll look at one of the core philosophical beliefs of Eastern civilization, the concept of yin and yang.

Lecture 6: https://www.bitchute.com/video/EE4wPx7QWMaL/