QuestionsUnread oracle bone charactersWhat are the roughly 3,000 unread oracle-bone graphs, and how many of them can ever be read?Answer
Answer · Unread oracle bone characters
Most unread graphs are names without descendants
Most unread graphs are proper names of people, places, clans and spirits that left no descendant, so they can be identified as names but never read as words.
Where it stands
Still possibleTwo pieces of evidence for, none against. It needs two reviews to be accepted.
What it predicts
- A slot-by-slot classification of unread graphs in the CHANT transcriptions will place the large majority only in name positions.
- Unread graphs will be rarer per graph and more concentrated in one period or diviner group than read graphs.
- The bounty's rate of accepted readings will stay at a few per decade.
What would rule it out
- A slot classification finds that half or more of unread graphs occur in verb, object or modifier positions.
- A sustained rise in accepted readings from form-chain or computational methods.
Evidence 2 for · none against
FOR
The questions it answers
Open6 answers, none ahead
Cite it
Mysteries Department. (2026). Most unread graphs are names without descendants [Answer ANS0DEDS19358ER]. https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0DEDS19358ER
@misc{mysteriesdept_ans0deds19358er,
title = {Most unread graphs are names without descendants},
author = {{Mysteries Department}},
year = {2026},
note = {Answer, catalog key ANS0DEDS19358ER},
url = {https://mysteriesdept.com/r/ANS0DEDS19358ER}
}