The rediscovery of the Shang began with the discovery of turtle shells and large cattle bones inscribed with ancient Chinese characters, the first written text of Shang. The inscriptions were about events of national significance, natural disasters and insignificant happenings. Legend said that Wang Yirong’s family bought turtle shells to make medicine, only to find inscriptions of strange characters that resembled written Chinese. As an archaeologist, he was the first to build up a collection of oracle bones. Shang fortune tellers foretold predictions about the future and then used oracle bones to check whether the event would occur. The bones were cleaned and thinned, then applied to a hot object until the surface cracked. The cracked shell or bones were then presented to the king. The king’s interpretation of the cracks was engraved onto the shell together with the original prediction. Writings on oracle bones were recorded account of Shang. Reference to historical personalities to prove their existence dispelled some misconceptions of Shang.