Argument of "Yin Ren Shang You"(people in the Yin Dynasty attach more importance on right side)Reexamined on Formation of Ancient Chinese Characters Carved on Tortoise Shells or Animal Bones and Archaeological Findings

To prove the argument ofYin lien Shang You(people in the Yin Dynasty attach more importance on right side)in ancient Chinese literature,this article explores not only oracle inscriptions on tortoise shells or animal bones dis- covered in Yin ruins and characters of inscriptions on tortoise shells or animal bones but also formation of characters and relevant archaeological findings.It is proved that there are more characters with right hand shape than left hand shape in these with hand shape in inscriptions on tortoise shells or animal bones statistically. It also reveals that Yin people value the right hand side as a superior and lucky one that many common idioms of praying for blessings in oracle inscriptions on tortoise shells or animal bones have characters of right hand shape.Forma- tions of characters of dresses in the Shaag Dynasty also prove that the right side is considered as a normal and respectable one in case that dresses are opened on the fight side,i.e.You Ren,which coincides perfectly with the dressing data drawn from the dresses of jade figures excavated in the Yin ruins.The idea of putting more importance on fight side in the Shang Dynasty also can be seen from arrangement and structure of palace,city,grave and chariot pit in archaeological data.So,it is suggested that the reason forYin Ren Shang You(people in the Yin Dynasty attach more importance on right side)may have something to do with the home location of the Shang people.