AI and digital tools are opening new ways to study China’s ancient oracle bone inscriptions and early Chinese writing.
AI and digital tools are opening new ways to study China’s ancient oracle bone inscriptions, with researchers using databases, digital archives and artificial intelligence to examine the early form of Chinese writing.
New research findings from the past four years were presented at an exhibition and briefing in Anyang, central China’s Henan Province, on Sept. 29th, CNS reported.
Anyang is known as the “home of oracle bone inscriptions”. About 160,000 pieces have been unearthed so far, according to official statistics. The study of oracle bone inscriptions has also become an international field of research into early China.
From Ancient Characters To Digital Research
Recent research has covered monographs, academic papers and digital projects, said Li Xiaoyang, head of Anyang’s cultural heritage bureau.
More than 20 monographs have been published, along with over 440 academic papers.
A Chinese-English dictionary of oracle bone studies is also being compiled. The project, led by Anyang Normal University, is expected to include more than 800 terms related to oracle bone studies and oracle bone characters.
The terms will have Chinese and English explanations. Entries for oracle bone characters and words will also include examples from inscriptions and their English translations.
The dictionary is expected to be the first Chinese-English reference work of its kind for oracle bone studies.
Bringing Ancient Records Into The Digital Age
Universities and research institutions in China have also developed digital platforms and databases for oracle bone studies.
Tsinghua University, Jilin University and Fudan University are among those that have established platforms or databases for areas such as intelligent research and the matching of broken oracle bone fragments.
Since launching its Oracle Bone Inscriptions Digital Preservation Project in 2024, Anyang Normal University has created high-resolution digital records of 951 oracle bone pieces held overseas.
The records provide researchers with new material for studying and comparing oracle bone inscriptions.
AI Helps Researchers Compare And Connect Fragments
Digital tools are also changing how researchers work with oracle bone inscriptions.
Qi Hangfu, president of the Henan Society of Chinese Philology, said AI and databases can improve efficiency in tasks such as information retrieval, character-form comparison and matching broken fragments.
He said these tools are opening new possibilities for interdisciplinary research in oracle bone studies.
Li said future research should focus on common data standards and establish systems for reviewing AI-assisted research. He also called for continued work on the physical features of oracle bones and the study of ancient divination, as well as closer links between oracle bone studies, archaeology, historical geography and related fields.
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