Source

Sources of Shang History: The Oracle-Bone Inscriptions of Bronze Age China

David Keightley's study works directly from the Anyang oracle-bone corpus, the excavated Bronze Age inscriptions themselves, documenting how Shang divinations were actually conducted and recorded rather than reconstructing the practice from later, secondhand textual tradition. That direct grounding in primary excavated inscriptions, checkable against the corpus itself, is the study's real evidentiary basis and the reason it remains the standard English introduction to the material. This record has not independently traced a documented history of scholarly disagreement with Keightley's specific readings since 1978. Use it for the documented practice of Shang oracle-bone divination; a claim about a later Chinese divinatory development needs a source covering that later period.

Facts

Citation

Author

David N. Keightley

Publisher

University of California Press

Publication Year

1978

URL

https://archive.org/details/sourcesofshanghi0000keig

Source Type

academic monograph

Assessment

Reliability Tier

David Keightley's study working directly from the excavated Anyang oracle-bone corpus, documenting how Shang divinations were actually conducted and recorded rather than reconstructing the practice from later, secondhand textual tradition.

Notes

The standard English introduction to the Anyang oracle-bone corpus and to how the divinations were conducted.

Connections

Associated With

Anyang

This source names Anyang directly: "study works directly from the Anyang oracle-bone corpus, the excavated Bronze Age inscriptions themselves, documenting how Shang divinations were actually conducted and recorded rather than..."

Source Sources of Shang History: The Oracle-Bone Inscriptions of Bronze Age ChinaDavid N. Keightley

Claims Backed By This Source (305 claims)

This source backs 305 claims across the atlas. As facts: 219 well-attested. As cited relationships: 41 holds. Plus 45 entities citing it as a general reference with no single fact or relationship attached.

Disposition By Topic

Earthly Branches, 108 claims: 84 well-attested, 12 holds, 12 general references.
Heavenly Stems, 90 claims: 70 well-attested, 10 holds, 10 general references.
Chinese Animals, 48 claims: 24 well-attested, 12 holds, 12 general references.
Articles, 10 claims: 10 well-attested.
Calendars, 10 claims: 8 well-attested, 1 holds, 1 general references.
Sources, 9 claims: 8 well-attested, 1 holds.
Bodies of Water, 5 claims: 1 well-attested, 3 holds, 1 general references.
Historical Periods, 5 claims: 2 well-attested, 2 holds, 1 general references.
Cities, 4 claims: 3 well-attested, 1 general references.
Disciplines, 4 claims: 2 well-attested, 2 general references.
Subcategories, 4 claims: 3 well-attested, 1 general references.
Body Parts, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
Cultures, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
Metals, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.
Regions, 2 claims: 1 well-attested, 1 general references.