What is Jinwen?

inscriptions on bronze wares in Shang and Zhou dynasties are also the names of Chinese characters.

inscriptions on bronze wares of the Shang and Zhou dynasties are usually used to refer to inscriptions, also known as Zhong Dingwen. This kind of writing was widely used for more than 8 years from the end of Shang Dynasty to the Qin Dynasty's annihilation of the Six Kingdoms, and recorded the activities or events such as offering sacrifices, giving orders, letters, campaigns, hunting, covenants and so on.

bronze inscriptions are an ancient writing form, and their history can be traced back to the late Shang dynasty, which is an important material for studying ancient history and culture. Bronze inscriptions are characterized by thick font lines, simple structure and pictographic meaning. Some strokes are complicated, but others are concise.

The writing style of inscriptions on bronze is somewhat similar to that of Oracle Bone Inscriptions, both of which originated from pictures and notes, but inscriptions on bronze ware and Oracle Bone Inscriptions were carved on tortoise shells or animal bones. The glyph structure of bronze inscriptions is relatively stable, and each word usually has only one fixed writing style, which is not as changeable as Oracle Bone Inscriptions's.

The inscriptions on bronze covers a wide range, including politics, economy, military affairs and culture. By studying the bronze inscriptions, we can learn about the system, law, culture and art of ancient society, as well as the social life and people's ideas at that time.

The role of bronze inscriptions:

1. Bronze inscriptions are a very important historical document. The bronze inscriptions in Shang and Zhou Dynasties recorded the political, economic, military and cultural information at that time, which provided valuable information for us to understand and study the history of Shang and Zhou Dynasties. By studying the bronze inscriptions, we can learn about the system, law, culture and art of ancient society, as well as the social life and people's ideas at that time.

2. Bronze inscriptions are also a very important archaeological material. In archaeological work, bronze inscriptions can often provide important clues and information. For example, by studying the bronze inscriptions, we can learn about the production technology, age and use of ancient bronzes, which provides an important basis for archaeological research.

3. Bronze inscriptions also play an important role in the field of ancient philology. Bronze inscription is an ancient writing form. By studying and interpreting it, we can understand the evolution process and laws of Chinese characters. At the same time, bronze inscriptions also provide important physical materials for the study of ancient philology.