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1.

CHAPTER II
EXCAVATION WORKS.

Part I.

Trial Diggings in 1928.

One of the earliest scientific undertakings of the National Research Institute of History and Philology was to initiate serious and systematic archaeological excavations.  Both the choice of the first site and the choice of the first man in charge of the field work were happily made in the beginning.  Mr. Tung Tso-ping, who has contributed the most towards the success of the archaeological work of the Institute in the last three years, was in the very beginning asked to make a preliminary study of the Yin-hsü site so as to ascertain whether it is worth serious excavation work.  This mission, Mr. Tung has most ably carried out.  A full report of this preliminary work written by Mr. Tung has appeared in the first issue of 'the Preliminary Reports of Excavations at Anyang', published by the Institute.  This summary here is mainly a translation of Mr. Tung's original article.  (Li Chi)

A. Reconnaissance Work.

1.  A Schoolmaster's Talk.  I arrived at An-yang on the 12th August, and immediately called on the Director of the Eleventh Provincial Middle School of Honan, Mr. Chang Shang-te(張尚德), and told him about my mission.  Director Chang readily responded and furnished me the following very interesting information.  "I learned something about this site as early as 1925", said Mr. Chang, "the place where the oracle bones are found, is about five [[underline]]li[[/underline]] northwest of the city, in the village Hsiao-t'un.  About one [[underline]]li[[/underline]] north of the village, Huan Shui flows by.  Oracle bones are found in all the places along the Huan River.  I have had my students accompanying me to that place and found uninscribed oracle bones scattered in many parts of the field.  Inscribed bones could be found about one foot(Chinese) down from the surface by digging with a twig.  It is easy to purchase them in the village.  If you only say that you want inscribed bones, women and children will all gather together and offer them for sale.  With one dollar, I was able to buy a handful of the fragments of these inscribed bones."  Mr. Chang's