The primary reason why Shang rulers used oracle bones was to predict the future. They believed that these bones had the ability to communicate with ancestral spirits and deities. By carving questions onto the bones and then heating them to create cracks, the Shang rulers would interpret the resulting patterns to divine answers about various matters such as warfare, agriculture, weather, and disease. The use of oracle bones played a significant role in decision-making and governance during the Shang dynasty.
