The National Museum of Chinese Writing is encouraging people from around the world to help decipher oracle bone inscriptions dating back more than 3,000 years to the Shang Dynasty (1600-1100 B.C.).

The museum, in central China's Henan Province, says it will offer 100,000 yuan (around 14,779 US dollars) for each unknown character deciphered.

Inscribed oracle bone (cattle shoulder) unearthed from Xiaotun South in 1973. /VCG Photo

Inscribed oracle bone (cattle shoulder) unearthed from Xiaotun South in 1973. /VCG Photo

It is also offering 50,000 yuan to anyone who can provide a definitive explanation for a disputing character, according to a notice posted on its website.

Inscriptions on tortoise shells and animal bones represent the origins of written Chinese. 

In 1899, they were discovered engraved on "dragon's bones", an ingredient used as a type of traditional Chinese medicine.

Inscribed oracle bones unearthed from Xiaotun South in 1973. /VCG Photo

Oracle bone (turtle) inscriptions of sacrifice. /VCG Photo

So far, around 2,000 characters found on excavated oracle bones have been deciphered. 

But nearly 3,000 characters remain a mystery.

The museum is also encouraging oracle bone enthusiasts to use cloud computing and Big Data along with traditional methods to support their interpretation of a particular character.

(Source: Xinhua)