Final answer:
Priests in ancient China used oracle bones to communicate with the gods. These artifacts from the Shang dynasty are inscribed with early Chinese script, providing insights into the practices and beliefs of the time.
Step-by-step explanation:
In the Chinese culture, priests made oracle bones to communicate with the gods. Oracle bones are pieces of ox scapula or turtle plastron, which were used in divination rituals practiced by the Shang dynasty in ancient China. This practice involved applying heat to the bones or shells and interpreting the resulting cracks to predict the future or to communicate with ancestors and deities.
The process of consulting the oracle bones was initially conducted orally with the inscriptions being added afterwards. These inscriptions are an early form of Chinese script and have provided valuable insights into the Shang society, as they represent some of the earliest known Chinese writing. The Shang kings acted as high priests, with the exclusive right to mediate between their subjects and the gods, notably the supreme deity Di. Rulers and elite individuals both in the Shang and later periods utilized oracle bones and other artifacts such as bronze vessels in their religious and ritualistic practices.