Archaeological Findings Shed Light on Qin Dynasty

Home>>Life

Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, July 19, 2002

Archaeological Findings Shed Light on Qin Dynasty

DISCUSSION

CHINESE

SEND TO FRIEND

Over 20,000 ancient bamboo slips carrying records of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) have been unearthed in central China's Hunan Province, an archaeological breakthrough being compared to discovering the Qin-Dynasty terra-cotta soldiers and horses in Shannxi Province.

"This is the first time that such a huge amount of bamboo slipsrecording history ranging from the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-25 AD), has been found in China," said Guo Weimin, deputy director of the Hunan Provincial Archaeological Institute. Fewer than 2,000 similar bamboo slips altogether were unearthed last century.

The newly found slips were discovered at the ancient Liye village, Longshan County in Hunan Province.

The bamboo strips, engraved with ancient calligraphy, are official documents recording political, economic and cultural lifesome 2,200 years ago. They contain a total of 200,000 words, according to Zhang Chunlong, a researcher handling the find.

As China's first feudal Emperor of the Qin Dynasty ordered books and documents to be burned and many scholars buried alive, little of the currently available material on the Qin Dynasty is first-hand information.

Experts say that the calligraphy on the bamboo slips is still clear and readable. Such information as multiplication tables, ethnic relations and army grain consumption has been found on the slips, which is widely expected to provide an unprecedented insight into the Qin Dynasty.

Questions?Comments? Click here

Taiwan to Lift Half-century Ban on Direct Investment in Mainland ( 64 Messages)

Shanghai Plans Asia's Biggest Shopping Center ( 158 Messages)

Sino-Russian Military Exercise not Targeting Third Country ( 142 Messages)

Gang of 66 Criminals Get Heavy Sentences ( 19 Messages)

How to View Major Problems in China's Income Distribution System ( 56 Messages)

China's Economy Grew 7.8 Percent in First Half Year ( 11 Messages)