Tech approach gives life to artifacts

The introduction of digital scanning and AI promises to revolutionize the study of ancient oracle bones, Yang Feiyue reports.

Clearly magnified oracle bone carvings are proving to be a big draw for the hundreds of thousands of visitors to the newly built Yinxu Museum in Anyang, Henan province.

Many have been amazed to see the intricate details of the strokes on the 16 oracle bones on display at the museum, which opened in February.

The 3,300-year-old Yinxu site, which is also known as the Yinxu Ruins, was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2006 and is the location of the remains of the ancient city of Yin, one of the capitals of the late Shang Dynasty (c. 16th century-11th century BC). Yin is the first capital in Chinese history to have been documented and also substantiated by archaeological evidence.

In addition to its wealth of exquisite bronzes, the site has yielded a trove of oracle bones that were used to tell fortunes and record events. The bones are considered to be the oldest-known Chinese writing system, highlighting the endurance of Chinese civilization.