Ancient Chinese Writing Materials and Inscriptions Quiz

The earliest writings in China were found on ox scapulae, tortoiseshells, and bronzes during the Shang dynasty. Dated from around 1400-1200 B.C.E, the inscriptions on bones and shells-called 'oracle bones'-recorded divination used by the Shang royal house. The words were carved with a stylus, some were written with brush and ink made of lampblack or cinnabar. On bronzes, inscriptions were cast on sacrificial vessels, ritual bells, and ______.

These inscriptions range from a few to as many as five hundred ______.

The brush pen was used as early as the seventh or sixth century B.C.E. The holder is made of bamboo, and the tip is made of wolf, rabbit, or ______ hair.

Brush-point size depends upon its use in executing different styles of ______.

The brush was used in conjunction with ink, a permanent black pigment that could not be washed out after being ______.

Archaeological evidence shows paper was invented around the first century B.C.E. By the third century C.E., paper was already widely used for making ______.

Since paper was made of readily available materials, such as raw hemp and tree bark, it was inexpensive to ______.