32 MEMOIRS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM 
It is possible that this archaic style of writing survived among soothsayers long 
after it ceased to be in current use. Whatever be the date of the inscriptions, they 
Fig. 13. 
” 
; Fig. 12. Inscribed tortoise-shell (almost complete). The part missing is indicated by dotted lines. This was 
pieced together from several fragments. The four sentences are alike in tenor. Upper right reads: 2, {MARR RS F=. 
25 z 
Date (Z %) and enquiry as to extent of progeny. The two left-side sentences contain IR “ not,” and ¥ “‘Incky.”” 
(Actual size. ) 
Fig. 13. Inscribed tortoise-shell fragment. {Actual size.) 
(Originals of Figs. 12-13 in the Couling-Chalfant collection. ) 
are undoubtedly written in a very primitive form of symbols, many of which are 
actual pictographs. Only a few illustrations are here given to show the general 
