ORACLE BONES.(Chen Mengjia)

THE BOOK

In the library of the Anyang Archeological Work Station, the title of a book caught my eye: "Our Country's Shang and Zhou Bronzes Looted by American Imperialists." I had travelled to Anyang, a small city in the northern Chinese province of Henan, to study the local antiquities. According to conventional history, this region was the capital of the Shang dynasty, which flourished for nearly six centuries before being conquered by the Zhou, around 1045 B.C. Traditionally, the Shang's downfall has been attributed to dissolute behavior--legends depict the last emperor as a drunk who filled swimming pools with wine. But this was the first hint I'd seen of any American involvement, and I took a closer look.

No author's name was listed. The book, published in 1962, contained more than eight hundred photographs of Shang and Zhou bronze vessels (the Shang is one of the most distinctive periods of ancient Chinese metallurgy). For each vessel, the book listed an imperialist collector. The catalogue included Doris Duke (she had apparently looted nine bronzes), Avery C. Brundage (thirty vessels), and Alfred F. Pillsbury (fifty-eight).

A young Chinese archeologist was working in the library, and I asked if he knew who had written the book. "Chen Mengjia," the archeologist said. "His specialty was oracle bones. He was quite a famous poet, too."

Oracle bones are inscribed with the earliest known writing in East Asia. The bones--cattle scapulae and turtle plastrons--were used in divination ceremonies at the Shang royal court. I asked the archeologist if Chen Mengjia was still in China.

"He's dead," the young man said. "He killed himself during the Cultural Revolution."

I closed the book and asked if there was anybody left at Anyang who had known Chen.