The discovery of these objects provided archaeological evidence for Sīmǎ Qiān’s (“suh-mah ch’YEN’s”) account of early Chinese history in Records of the Grand Historian. For 10 points each:
[10m] Give this two-word English term, or the Chinese equivalent, for objects like ox scapulae that were heated until they cracked in a form of divination from the Shāng dynasty.
ANSWER: oracle bones [or jiǎgǔ; prompt on bones or gǔ]
[10e] In another instance of archaeology confirming Sīmǎ Qiān’s writings, large amounts of mercury were found at the tomb of the first emperor of this dynasty, Shǐ Huángdì.
ANSWER: Qín dynasty
[10h] Sīmǎ Qiān also accurately described the tombs of this group of nomadic people. The Hàn dynasty repeatedly tried to appease this group with marriage alliances during a centuries-long frontier war.
ANSWER: Xiōngnú (“sh’yung-noo”) [prompt on Huns]
<Andrew McCowan, History - World - Asian> ~20706~ <Editor: Jordan Brownstein>