中國(guó)學(xué)者發(fā)現(xiàn)甲骨文，成為人類史上的重大發(fā)現(xiàn)，甲骨學(xué)也隨之成為一門國(guó)際性的學(xué)科。在研究甲骨文的專家中，天津的王襄有第一個(gè)發(fā)現(xiàn)之功。
王襄(1876～1965),字綸閣，號(hào)簠室。世居天津東門內(nèi)大劉家胡同，被稱“翰林院王家” 。光緒二十三年(1897),補(bǔ)天津縣學(xué)生員，光緒三十二年(1906),考入京師高等實(shí)業(yè)學(xué)堂習(xí)礦科，畢業(yè)獎(jiǎng)舉人，授知縣，分發(fā)河南錄用。宣統(tǒng)三年(1911),赴開封候補(bǔ)，曾在警務(wù)公所幫辦文牘，1914年起，任鹽務(wù)稽查所科員，先后轉(zhuǎn)遷閩、川、浙、鄂及長(zhǎng)蘆各處20余年。64歲退辭歸故里，曾任淑修小學(xué)校長(zhǎng)、崇化學(xué)會(huì)講師。著作頗豐，在書法上也頗有功力。建國(guó)后，被聘為天津市文史館館長(zhǎng)、天津市政協(xié)委員、天津文物保管委員會(huì)委員、中國(guó)科學(xué)院歷史研究所《甲骨文會(huì)集》編輯委員會(huì)委員。1956年加入共產(chǎn)黨，將所藏文物捐獻(xiàn)國(guó)家。1965年1月31日病逝，郭沫若題寫了墓碑： “殷墟文字研究專家王襄同志之墓” 。
王襄從20歲始就酷好考古研究。光緒二十四年(1898),山東濰縣古玩商范壽軒帶著一些刻有刻紋的龜甲骨到天津求售，因不識(shí)其為何物，求教于王襄。范壽軒介紹，他有河南安陽農(nóng)民收獲花生時(shí)從地下挖掘出來的 “龍骨” ,問王襄要不要。當(dāng)時(shí)著名書法家孟廣慧也在場(chǎng)，兩人當(dāng)晚就到客店去看貨。范壽軒住在天津西門外簡(jiǎn)陋的馬家客店，店房很矮，又是土墻。范把 “龍骨”從柳條箱里捧出來，放到大火炕的席子上。王、孟看后揣度，認(rèn)為可能是古簡(jiǎn)，于是囑范再到安陽廣為搜求，以利研究。第二年，也就是光緒二十五年(1899),范壽軒又帶來大批龜甲獸骨，經(jīng)王襄研究，認(rèn)定為商代殷墟甲骨，其上所刻字痕即是卜文。范壽軒聽后，以為奇貨可居，索價(jià)高昂。王襄因財(cái)力不足，僅買了些碎片。范壽軒又到北京，將所帶大批甲骨賣給了時(shí)為國(guó)子監(jiān)祭酒的王懿榮。王也據(jù)此進(jìn)行研究，終因年事已高，而未能寫出文章。此時(shí)王襄正當(dāng)壯年，得龜片獸骨雖少，但集中精力，深入研究。1920年，王襄的甲骨文著作《簠室殷契類纂》出版，1925年又出版了自藏甲骨拓本《簠室殷契征文》,還著有《題甲之表》、《貞卜文臨本》等達(dá)20多種。王襄是中國(guó)最早發(fā)現(xiàn)及研究、收藏甲骨文的學(xué)者。

·發(fā)現(xiàn)甲骨文的王襄

The finding of Jiaguwen,inscriptions on oracle bonesof Shang Dynasty (16th-11th century B.C.),is regardedas one of the major discoveries in human history. Thestudy of Jiaguwen has become an international subjectamong researchers. Wang Xiang,a scholar from Tianjin,devoted himself to the first discovery of Jiaguwen.
Wang Xiang(1876-1965),styled Lunge,lived inthe Daliu Hutong in Tianjin. In 1897,Wang became aXiucai of Tianjin County and later was enrolled intoJingshi Higher Industrial College to study minerals.After graduation,he was nominated as a countymagistrate in Henan Province. In 1911,Wang went toKaifeng to deal with official documents of police affairs.Started from 1914,he took charge of salt affairs inFujian,Sichuan,Zhejiang,Hubei provinces and Changluof Tianjin. At the age of 64,he retiredfrom his position and returnedto his hometown,where heserved as the headmaster ofShuxiu Primary School andas a lecturer of ChonghuaSociety. He wrote many booksand also was famous for hishandwriting. After the liberation,he was invited as the head ofTianjin Institute of Literary History. Healso served as a member of the Tianjin MunicipalPeople`s Political Consultative Conference and amember of the Tianjin Protection Committee ofHistorical Relics.He also participated the compilingof the Journal of Jia-guwen Society. Wang donated tothe nation all his collections in 1956 when he joinedthe Communist Party of China. He died on January 31,1965. The epigraph of Wang`s tomb stone was writtenby Guo Moruo,a famous scholar in China,calling him"an expert in the study of Jiaguwen".
Wang began to study archaeology when he wasin his 20s. In 1898,Fan Shouxuan,a relic merchantfrom Weixian of Shangdong Province,brought someanimal bones with curved lines into Tianjin for sale.Having no idea on the usage of the bones,Fan askedWang for advice. According to Fan,the bones werefound by farmers in Anyang of Henan Province,whenthey harvested peanuts in the field. Wang,together withcalligrapher Meng Guanghui,guessed the bones wereancient slips of writing. They asked Fan to collect morebones after he had returned. One year later,Fan fetchedmore bones to Tianjin. After research,Wang drewa conclusion that these curved lines wereauguries of Yin Dynasty. Meanwhile.Fan asked a high price that Wangcould not afford. The merchant thenwent to Beijing and sold thebones to official Wang Yirong.Wang Xiang conducted anin-depth study based on thebones he had bought. In 1920,Wang`s work on Jiaguwen waspublished. Later he published morethan 20 books in this field. Wang wasthe earliest scholar in finding,researchand collections of Jiaguwen in China.

·甲骨文拓片