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The World’s Oldest Writing: The “五” (Wu) Character and the Dawn of Chinese Civilization
The world’s oldest known writing is the character ”五” (wǔ), dating back at least 10,000 years, discovered at the Qiaotou Site of the Shangshan Culture in Yiwu, Zhejiang Province.
This ”五” character, appearing alongside Fuxi’s trigram diagrams on painted pottery jars of the Shangshan Culture, provides concrete evidence that writing and the I Ching (Book of Changes) tradition had already emerged in China’s eastern coastal regions over 10,000 years ago.
Shangshan Culture: The World’s Earliest Writing “Wu”
Shangshan Culture: Fuxi’s Trigram Diagrams
The Jiahu Culture (9,000 years ago), which developed from the Shangshan Culture, inherited its distinct I Ching-related cultural features and a continuous lineage of writing.
After at least 6,000 years of uninterrupted transmission, the character ”五” remained unchanged in Shang Dynasty oracle bone inscriptions, identical to its form in the Shangshan Culture. By this time, the I Ching culture had become deeply rooted in Chinese civilization.
Even in the Shang Dynasty, after over 6,000 years of inheritance, the ”五” character retained its original shape in oracle bone script, mirroring its appearance in the ancient Shangshan Culture. The I Ching tradition had thus solidified as a cornerstone of Chinese culture.
- Oracle Bone Script “爻” (Yao)
- Oracle Bone Script “学” (Xue, “Learn”)
- Oracle Bone Script “教” (Jiao, “Teach”)
The characters for ”教” (teach) and ”学” (learn) both incorporate the symbol ”爻” (yáo), signifying that early education and cultural transmission were deeply intertwined with sacrificial rituals and divination practices. The character ”五” (wǔ), bearing ten millennia of cultural sediment, embodies the foundational wisdom of ancient Chinese civilization.
To this day, the Yin-Yang, Five Elements, and Eight Trigrams remain central to I Ching philosophy.
Who knew that Fuxi, the legendary creator of the Eight Trigrams, lived at least 10,000 years ago?
Due to limitations in archaeological evidence, the exact origins of the trigrams remain unclear, but 10,000 years ago marks the earliest plausible timeframe—and by then, the I Ching was already a mature system!
Who knew that the inventor of writing was none other than Fuxi, the trigram drafter himself?
Today, the world enjoys the civilizational gifts of Fuxi culture: writing, philosophy, and the enduring legacy of the I Ching.
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Wow, a 10,000-year-old character? That’s mind-blowing! Chinese civilization is way older than I thought.
Fuxi creating writing AND the I Ching? Dude was way ahead of his time 😮
The continuity from Shangshan to Shang Dynasty is insane. That’s like 6,000 years of unchanged writing!
Kinda wild how ancient Chinese education was tied to divination. Makes you think about how different cultures develop
Five Elements theory still being relevant today shows how advanced their thinking was
Does anyone else think the ‘五’ character looks super modern for something from 10,000 BCE?
More proof China had civilization when my ancestors were still living in caves 😂
The way these ancient symbols connect teaching and rituals is fascinating. Totally different from Western traditions
Shangshan Culture doesn’t get enough attention in world history classes. This changes everything
Imagine being the archaeologist who found this – holding something that old must give you chills
So Fuxi was basically the OG philosopher-scientist 10,000 years ago? That’s wild
Chinese calligraphy is beautiful today, but seeing its origins this ancient makes it even more impressive