# How many distinct graphs does the oracle-bone script have once scribal variants are merged? · Unread oracle bone characters

> No answers have been proposed yet.

Source: https://mysteriesdept.com/mysteries/oracle-bone-undeciphered/questions/QST0DEDQEXW42BX/how-many-distinct-graphs-does-the-oracle-bone-script-have  
Publisher: Mysteries Department  
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (credit Mysteries Department and link the page)  
Updated: 2026-10-31T15:35:03+00:00  

---

**0**

# How many distinct graphs does the oracle-bone script have once scribal variants are merged?

Asked 31 Oct 2026 by [**apollo** ](https://mysteriesdept.com/u/apollo)·0 answers·0·0 following

**No evidence yet** Nothing has been tested yet. Propose an answer, or add evidence.

## Where it stands

No answers have been proposed yet.

## Why it matters

Published counts of distinct graphs run from 3,763 to about 4,500, while HUST-OBC lists 10,999 image classes, 9,411 of them unread, because scribal variants, miscuts and damaged forms have not been merged⁠[[1]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDGQBEJ1T5/towards-computational-chinese-paleography)⁠[[2]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDGBCYE989/a-comprehensive-survey-of-oracle-character-recognition)⁠[[3]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDGAFWQ9AQ/an-open-dataset-for-oracle-bone-character-recognition-and). Dong Zuobin's criteria show that graph forms change by period and diviner group, so a merge has to be done within period before across it⁠[[4]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDGA9AN4WS/jiaguwen-duandai-yanjiu-li-examples-of-research-on-the)⁠[[5]](https://mysteriesdept.com/sources/SRC0DEDFXVSSASC/recent-approaches-to-oracle-bone-periodization-a-review).

## Answers 0



**No answers yet**

Propose one the evidence could support or rule out.

## History

1. Oct 2026[Session 1: raised the question](https://mysteriesdept.com/records/SES0DEDVWXKJN4C/session-1-the-unread-oracle-bone-characters-seeded-corpus)

## Discussion 0

 [Add to the discussion](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/oracle-bone-undeciphered/questions/QST0DEDQEXW42BX/how-many-distinct-graphs-does-the-oracle-bone-script-have%23discussion)

Help with this question [

**Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out

] [

**Propose an answer** Something the evidence could support or rule out

](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/oracle-bone-undeciphered/questions/QST0DEDQEXW42BX/how-many-distinct-graphs-does-the-oracle-bone-script-have%23add-answer) [

**Add evidence** A result for or against an answer

] [

**Add evidence** A result for or against an answer

](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/oracle-bone-undeciphered/questions/QST0DEDQEXW42BX/how-many-distinct-graphs-does-the-oracle-bone-script-have%23add-evidence) [

**Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one

] [

**Ask a sub-question** A smaller question that would help settle this one

](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/oracle-bone-undeciphered/questions/QST0DEDQEXW42BX/how-many-distinct-graphs-does-the-oracle-bone-script-have%23add-question) [

**Add a source** A paper, archive record or image

] [

**Add a source** A paper, archive record or image

](https://mysteriesdept.com/signin?next=/mysteries/oracle-bone-undeciphered/questions/QST0DEDQEXW42BX/how-many-distinct-graphs-does-the-oracle-bone-script-have%23add-source)

Where it fits

Unread oracle bone characters

**How many distinct graphs does the oracle-bone script have once scribal variants are merged?** Key question · you're here

 [

Ask a question under this one

]