Summary 2 - The rediscovery of the Shang began with Malaria

Summary 2
Question:

The rediscovery of the Shang began with Malaria. That at least, is the legend. Describe what are oracle bones, how they were discovered, how they were used and their significance. (25m)

USE ONLY MATERIALS FROM PARAGRAPHS 1 to 6.

Your summary, which must be in continuous writing (not note form) must not be longer than 160 words, including the 10 words given below.

The rediscovery of the Shang began with the discovery of oracle bones. They are made from turtle plastrons or cattle scapulas used to make traditional Chinese medicine. It is inscribed with strange Chinese characters. Wang Yirong became the first major collector of the inscribed shells, called oracle bones. Oracle bones represented war and harvest, disease and childbirth. They are heavy with descriptions of sacrifices. Natural forces are feared and respected. Shang diviners used the bones to verify the happening of an event. Turtle plastrons or cattle scapulas are carefully cleaned and treated, then thinned by drilling notches into the back. A hot object is applied until the surface cracks and is presented to the king. The king carves the interpretation of the cracks and the original prediction into the object. The oracle bones refer to people who appear in traditional historical texts. The oracle bones that were discovered at Xiaotun, track more than 150 years at the end of the Shang era.

Word Count: 152