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Volume 8,Issue 8

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5 June 2026
A Review of Key Works and Translation in North American Oracle-Bone Studies
Fang Geng
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1 School of Foreign Languages, Guizhou Normal University, Guiyang 550025, Guizhou, China,
ssr 2026 , 8(5), 189–196; https://doi.org/10.26689/ssr.v8i5.15030
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Abstract

This article reviews the key works of North American oracle-bone studies, focusing on its historical development, as well as its translation and reception within the Chinese academic context. The existing scholarship can be divided into three major phases: the early stage (1910s-1930s) , which focused on the collection and cataloguing of oracle-bone inscriptions; the stage of disciplinary formation (1950s-1990s), characterized by palaeographic and linguistic interpretation; and the stage of interdisciplinary expansion since the 21 century, marked by the increasing integration of linguistics, archaeology, anthropology, history, and comparative studies. The translation and reception of North American oracle-bone scholarship in China have taken various forms: the translations of influential monographs, historiographical introductions, and studies of translation practices. The review shows that while North American oracle-bone studies occupies a significant position in global oracle bone studies, it still lacks systematic bibliographic compilation, while its translation, dissemination, and reception in the Chinese academic context remain insufficiently studied.

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