Origins of Chinese Civilization: Writing, Divination, and Mentality

Ken-Ichi Takashima, Professor Emeritus of the University of British Columbia, will explore the origins of the Chinese civilization as reflected in the oldest writings, “oracle-bone inscriptions” (OBI). Datable to the Late Shang Dynasty, ca. 1230-1050 BCE, the topics of the OBI range widely, such as weather, agriculture, hunting, warfare, medicine, childbirth, sacrificial and ritual practices, etc. They inform us of the conditions and situations of the Shang diviners, kings, scribes, and the high echelons of society. How they responded to them unveils what they were thinking or doing. Professor Takashima will analyze it in terms of writing and divination, aiming to reveal their mentality.