Chinese characters are fossils

Chinese characters are among the oldest continuously used writing systems in the world. Unlike alphabetic scripts that underwent radical changes or were replaced, Chinese script has evolved in a way that preserves very ancient features. This longevity is why it can look "fossilized" compared to other systems. But it’s not primitive—it has adapted, standardized, and expanded over time. When did the Chinese themselves reflect on the "amazing" nature of their characters? The earliest surviving records of Chinese writing come from oracle bone inscriptions (around 1200 BCE, late Shang dynasty). These were divinatory inscriptions, not philosophical reflections. At that stage, writing was sacred and powerful, but the “meta” commentary on its nature came later. 6th–3rd centuries BCE (Warring States Period): Early Chinese thinkers already regarded writing as marvelous and essential. For example, Confucian texts like the Shujing (Book of Documents) and Liji (Book of Rites) praise writing as a means of preserving civilization and virtue. Han dynasty (2nd century CE): The first systematic reflection is Xu Shen’s Shuowen Jiezi (c. 100 CE). It was the earliest Chinese dictionary, analyzing characters by their structure and radicals. Xu Shen marveled at the ingenuity of how characters conveyed meaning and sound—he described them almost as a divine invention. Medieval periods (4th–10th centuries): Scholars, calligraphers, and poets wrote extensively on the beauty and "miraculous" adaptability of characters. Calligraphy itself became a high art, celebrated as a spiritual as well as aesthetic practice. Neo-Confucian and later traditions (Song–Qing dynasties): Intellectuals often contrasted the supposed stability and depth of Chinese writing with the “arbitrariness” of phonetic scripts. They considered its endurance proof of cultural superiority and a gift from the sage-kings. Why it feels “fossilized” Chinese characters preserve pictographic and ideographic elements visible even today. While modern forms are standardized, they trace back thousands of years—something unique compared to scripts like Latin, Greek, or Sanskrit alphabets, which evolved into very different-looking modern letters. So it’s not that characters are primitive; it’s that they’re continuous fossils of cultural memory, still alive.