1, before Shang Dynasty
Since ancient times, China has said that "calligraphy and painting are of the same origin", because the earliest source of words is pictures, and calligraphy and painting are brothers, born from the same root, and have many internal relations. The origin of Chinese characters is the original painting, and primitive people express themselves in the form of "painting" in their lives. Slowly changed from the original picture to "ideographic symbol"
2. Jia Hu prints
More than 8,000 years ago, a batch of prints (9,000-7,800 years ago) were unearthed at Jiahu Site in Wuyang, Henan Province, which were called Jia Hu prints. Some scholars think it's just lettering, while others think it's writing. Tsung i Jao, the Chinese University of Hong Kong, made an in-depth study of Jia Hu's inscriptions and proposed that "Jia Hu's inscriptions provide brand-new information for the key issue of the origin of Chinese characters".
Ge, an archaeologist in the history department of Peking University, also thinks that "these symbols should be a kind of writing".
3. Carving on the Green Pier
Qingdun site in Jiangsu belongs to Liangzhu culture in the lower reaches of the Yangtze River, with digital inscriptions dating back 5,000 years.
4. Bone inscriptions
Oracle Bone Inscriptions refers to the symbols carved on animal bones-hieroglyphics or graphic characters, which are found in Shandong (Chifeng, Guanzhong and other places) and are the earliest recognizable characters in China.
In 2005, Professor Fengjun Liu, a famous archaeologist and director of the Institute of Fine Arts and Archaeology of Shandong University, discovered and named it. Originally called "Dongyi Characters" and later called "Bone Carving", the carving tools were determined to be sharp gems such as agate, which was formed between 2600 BC and 1300 BC and was a popular character in Longshan culture period.
5. Yin and Shang Dynasties
About BC14th century, late Yin and Shang dynasties. "Ideographic symbol" evolved into a relatively stereotyped "Oracle Bone Inscriptions". This is considered to be the first form of Chinese characters.
The characters carved on the tortoise shell of animal bones and found in Yin ruins are considered as the direct ancestors of "modern Chinese characters", which can prove the continuation of Chinese civilization. For thousands of years, Middle Easterners have been unable to read the hieroglyphics of their ancestors.
6. Western Zhou Dynasty
Bronzes are widely used, and the words engraved on bronze Zhong Ding and stone drum are "inscriptions on bronze". Also known as Zhong Dingwen and Shi Guwen. Legend has it that it was written by Taishi Gong of Zhou Xuanwang.
7. Qin dynasty
Qin Shihuang unified writing and measurement. His outstanding achievement was Li Si, the prime minister at that time. Li Si collected and sorted out the characters at that time, and then simplified and beautified them. The unified characters were called Xiao Zhuan, also known as Qin Zhuan. At this time, there are almost no hieroglyphs in the text.
8. In the Han Dynasty
Official script is very popular. Qin Li has not completely got rid of the structural features of Xiao Zhuan, and it is basically square, while Han Li gives full play to the role of a brush, with the twists and turns of "silkworm head and geese tail", which is easy to write. This kind of official script was popular in the Western Han Dynasty. Call it "Han Li".
9. Tang Dynasty
"Regular script" is particularly popular. Yan Zhenqing, Liu Gongquan, Ou Yangxun and other calligraphers were outstanding at that time, and their calligraphy works are still studied as models.
10, Song Dynasty
One of the four great inventions in China, engraving printing was improved by Bi Sheng to movable type printing, and "Song typeface" should also be made. First produced in the Northern Song Dynasty, it was changed from regular script. There are fat and thin, but regardless of fat and thin, they are horizontal, thin, vertical and square. Looks quaint and dignified.