Which Chinese dynasty is famous for oracle bone script and the earliest forms of Chinese writing?

• A. Xia Dynasty
• B. Zhou Dynasty
• C. Han Dynasty
• D. Shang Dynasty

Answer: (D)

Oracle bone script represents the earliest form of Chinese writing, tied to the Shang Dynasty. During the late Shang, rulers used turtle shells and animal bones for divination, carving questions and interpretations into the bones and shells. These inscriptions are the oldest known Chinese characters and show recognizable logographic elements that would evolve into later writing systems. Finds from the Anyang site give a clear dating to roughly 1200 BCE, anchoring the origin of Chinese writing to this dynasty.

The Xia Dynasty is semi-legendary in many histories and lacks contemporaneous written evidence, so it isn’t associated with the creation of writing. The Zhou Dynasty followed Shang and did develop writing further (including bronze inscriptions and later script forms), but the earliest surviving writing comes from the Shang period. The Han Dynasty is much later and is known for the standardization and spread of writing, not for the earliest script.