Oracle bones are the earliest known form of Chinese writing and provide a direct window into the Shang Dynasty. These artifacts, typically made from the shoulder blades of oxen or the plastrons (under-shells) of turtles, were used for divination. A diviner would carve a question onto the bone—ranging from the weather to military success—and then apply a hot metal rod. The resulting heat cracks were interpreted as answers from ancestors or deities. These inscriptions are the ancestors of modern Chinese characters. Discovered in the late 19th century near Anyang, they confirmed the historical existence of the Shang Dynasty, which some scholars had previously considered legendary. They reveal a complex society with a highly structured bureaucracy, a deep reverence for ancestors, and a belief in the spiritual power of writing.