A Chinese archaeologist announced yesterday that a 4,500-year-old jade turtle and an oval jade object discovered in Anhui Province, China, represent the oldest divination tools ever found.
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The Bagua diagram is commonly used by Chinese people in divination. |
The two jade artifacts were discovered in an ancient tomb in Lingjiatan Village, Hanshan County, Anhui Province.
Gu Fang, a jade expert from the China Cultural Heritage Association, explained that the jade turtle consists of a turtle shell and a turtle belly, featuring several holes. The oval object measures 8.2 cm wide and 11 cm long, found between the turtle’s belly and shell. This object also has some interrupted lines.
“These are clearly not tools for daily use, nor are they decorative items; they are instruments used in superstitious activities,” Gu stated.
The holes between the turtle shell and belly suggest that something was inserted inside, possibly with strings passing through the holes. “It reminds us of the action of dice. Only when the string is removed can the condition of the object inside the turtle be revealed,” Gu mentioned.
Archaeologists believe that this jade turtle was an ancient tool used for predicting the future, performed before significant events.
During the Shang Dynasty, approximately 1,000 years after the tomb of Lingjiatan was created, the use of turtles for divination became common, aiming to predict auspicious or inauspicious signs.
The lines on the oval object also caught the attention of archaeologists. Many experts suggest that this design may be the origin of the Bagua, a symbol still used in ancient Chinese divination.
M.T. (Xinhua)
