§77. Chinese enters history as the language written onto cattle or sheep scapulae and turtle plastrons by the diviners of an archaeological culture centred at 小屯 Xiǎotún (c.1200–1050 bce). The decipherment of these oracle bone inscriptions permits the identification of this culture with the 商 Shāng dynasty of traditional Chinese historiography (K. Chang 1980). Bone inscriptions record questions concerning weather, crops, warfare, and the regulation of the Shāng’s complex ritual life. Although they serve historians as invaluable sources (Keightley 1978), these short formulaic texts are difficult to profitably use in historical linguistics. Linguistic research on the language of the oracle bone inscriptions focuses primarily on syntax (Takashima 2000).