The Shang Dynasty's writing appeared on which artifacts?

• A. Oracle bones (turtle shells)
• B. Clay tablets
• C. Pictographs
• D. Papyrus

Answer: (A)

The Shang Dynasty’s writing first appears on oracle bones—turtle shells and ox shoulder blades used in divination. Priests would inscribe questions about future events on these bones, apply heat, and interpret the cracks to guide decisions. Those inscriptions are the earliest known examples of Chinese writing and show how characters began as marks tied to ritual questions, gradually evolving into a full writing system.

Clay tablets and papyrus are associated with Mesopotamia and Egypt, respectively, not the Shang. Pictographs describe a general idea of picture-based writing, but the specific artifacts carrying early Chinese writing are the oracle bones themselves.