appear to be similar to later characters for eye () and sun (). However, correspondence of many early non-writing symbols with the Shang dynasty period oracle bone writing is to be expected, given the pictographic style of many of the Shang characters. In later Chinese culture dating to around 3500 BC, tortoise shells were used as a form of divination. These were subjected to intense heat, and the cracks that formed were read as omens. The cracks were then carved as permanent marks on the surface of the shell. The evidence of shell pictograms from Jiahu may indicate that this tradition, or a related one, has much deeper roots in ancient Chinese culture than previously considered. End of the village: a flood Based on the archaeological evidence, a severe flood from the nearby rivers submerged most or all of the Jiahu settlement under a few feet of water sometime around 5700 BC. The inhabitants evacuated. It is not known where they went. The absence of tools and weapons in most of the residences indicates that they were able to salvage most of their belongings. They may have built a new village that has not been discovered, emigrated to the Peiligang villages, or scattered. Zhang Juzhong imagines that they were led by their tribal priest to build a new village nearby on higher ground, so that they could send salvage parties to the old village site. The new village site has never been found. The demolishing of older structures to salvage materials for the construction of new ones may have eradicated the site of the new village if it existed. Notes References External links Introduction to Jiahu site at The Metropolitan Museum of Art 9,000 Year Old Chinese Flutes Bone flute found in China at 9,000-year-old Neolithic site Ancient brew discovered in China BBC on tortoise shells discovered in China 9,000 Year History of Chinese Fermented Beverages Confirmed by Penn Museum Archaeochemist and an International Team of Scholars Neolithic rice cultivation New Archaeological Discoveries and Researches in 2004 - New achievements in botanic archaeology in China Neolithic cultures of China Former populated places in China Chinese music Major National Historical and Cultural Sites in Henan Populated places established in the 7th millennium BC