Rediscovering China's early civilization

The Yinxu Museum in Anyang, Henan province, exhibits not only a huge oracle-bone collection but also such items as an impressive array of bronze ware and jade artifacts. [Photo by Will Wain-Williams/China Daily]

Throughout Chinese history, control of this area meant control of the nation.

It was the Shang Dynasty, however, that left the first records, the earliest-known Chinese writing, the oracle bones.

They were discovered in the late 19th century when an antiques collector in Beijing received some "dragon bones" from a traditional pharmacist to cure an ailment he had.

The collector, upon seeing the odd characters on the bones, suspected they may be an early form of writing rather than pieces of dragon skeleton.

He was right.

Archaeologists ended up digging up hundreds of them in Anyang, consequently discovering the Shang emperors' tombs.