CIIC:Today's featured article/September 18, 2009

Lying about 2 km northwest of Anyang City, the Yin Ruins cover an area of 30 square km. It was once the capital of the Shang Dynasty empire 3,300 years ago and is the first capital ruins with a historical record confirmed by oracles and archaeological excavations. "Yin" was the ancient name for the Shang Dynasty (1600 BC-1100 BC).

The ruins have been dubbed the "cradle of Chinese archaeology" by archaeologists. Excavations which started in late 1920s have revealed tombs, foundations of palaces and temples, bronzes, jade carvings, lacquer ware, white carved ceramics, green-glazed ware and oracle bones.

One of the most significant discoveries are inscribed animal bones and tortoise shells, known as the oracle bones, which carry the earliest known examples of Chinese characters. (More ...)