Zhangjiashan Han bamboo texts
Encyclopedia
The Zhangjiashan Han bamboo texts are ancient Han Dynasty
Chinese written works dated 196–186 BCE. They were discovered in 1983 by archaeologists excavating tomb no. 247 at Mount Zhangjia (張家山) of Jiangling County, Hubei
Province (near modern Jingzhou
). The tomb was built for an early Western Han era official who had died in 186 BCE. The texts were written on traditional bamboo slips
connected by cords into rolled scrolls. The written works included legal case precedents
, literature on medicine
, mathematics
, military strategy, and a calendar
with dates ranging from 202 BCE to 186 BCE.
The mathematical work found within the tomb was the Book on Numbers and Computation, one of the earliest known mathematical works produced in ancient China. Although its date roughly corresponds with the tomb occupant's death, one of the legal cases discussed in the work on law was dated 246 BCE, with some even older legal precedents of the State of Qin
mixed in, according to Mark Csikszentmihalyi. The most recent legal case in that work was dated 196 BCE.
Han Dynasty
The Han Dynasty was the second imperial dynasty of China, preceded by the Qin Dynasty and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms . It was founded by the rebel leader Liu Bang, known posthumously as Emperor Gaozu of Han. It was briefly interrupted by the Xin Dynasty of the former regent Wang Mang...
Chinese written works dated 196–186 BCE. They were discovered in 1983 by archaeologists excavating tomb no. 247 at Mount Zhangjia (張家山) of Jiangling County, Hubei
Hubei
' Hupeh) is a province in Central China. The name of the province means "north of the lake", referring to its position north of Lake Dongting...
Province (near modern Jingzhou
Jingzhou
Jingzhou is a prefecture-level city in Hubei Province, People's Republic of China. The city is located on the banks of the Yangtze River.Its population is 5,691,707 at the 2010 census whom 1,154,086 in the built up area made of 3 urban districts.-Geography:Jingzhou occupies an area of...
). The tomb was built for an early Western Han era official who had died in 186 BCE. The texts were written on traditional bamboo slips
Bamboo and wooden slips (writing material)
Bamboo and wooden slips were one of the main media for literacy in early China. The long, narrow strips of wood or bamboo typically carry a single column of brush-written text each, with space for several tens of Chinese characters. For longer texts, many slips may be bound together in sequence...
connected by cords into rolled scrolls. The written works included legal case precedents
Traditional Chinese law
Traditional Chinese law refers to the laws, regulations and rules used in China up to 1911, when the last imperial dynasty fell. It has undergone continuous development since at least the 11th century BC...
, literature on medicine
Traditional Chinese medicine
Traditional Chinese Medicine refers to a broad range of medicine practices sharing common theoretical concepts which have been developed in China and are based on a tradition of more than 2,000 years, including various forms of herbal medicine, acupuncture, massage , exercise , and dietary therapy...
, mathematics
Chinese mathematics
Mathematics in China emerged independently by the 11th century BC. The Chinese independently developed very large and negative numbers, decimals, a place value decimal system, a binary system, algebra, geometry, and trigonometry....
, military strategy, and a calendar
Chinese calendar
The Chinese calendar is a lunisolar calendar, incorporating elements of a lunar calendar with those of a solar calendar. It is not exclusive to China, but followed by many other Asian cultures as well...
with dates ranging from 202 BCE to 186 BCE.
The mathematical work found within the tomb was the Book on Numbers and Computation, one of the earliest known mathematical works produced in ancient China. Although its date roughly corresponds with the tomb occupant's death, one of the legal cases discussed in the work on law was dated 246 BCE, with some even older legal precedents of the State of Qin
Qin (state)
The State of Qin was a Chinese feudal state that existed during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods of Chinese history...
mixed in, according to Mark Csikszentmihalyi. The most recent legal case in that work was dated 196 BCE.
See also
- Guodian Chu SlipsGuodian Chu SlipsThe Guodian Chu Slips were unearthed in 1993 in Tomb no. 1 of the Guodian tombs in Jingmen, Hubei. The archeological team suggested the tomb should be dated to the latter half of the Warring States period...
- History of the Han DynastyHistory of the Han DynastyThe Han Dynasty , founded by the peasant rebel leader Liu Bang ,From the Shang to the Sui dynasties, Chinese rulers were referred to in later records by their posthumous names, while emperors of the Tang to Yuan dynasties were referred to by their temple names, and emperors of the Ming and Qing...
- Mawangdui Silk TextsMawangdui Silk TextsThe Mawangdui Silk Texts are texts of Chinese philosophical and medical works written on silk and found at Mawangdui in China in 1973. They include some of the earliest attested manuscripts of existing texts such as the I Ching, two copies of the Tao Te Ching, one similar copy of Strategies of the...
- ShuangguduiShuangguduiShuanggudui is an archeological site located near Fuyang in China's Anhui province. Shuanggudui grave no. 1, which belongs to Xiahou Zao , the second marquis of Ruyin , was sealed in 165 BCE in the early Han Dynasty and excavated in 1977...
- Shuihudi Qin bamboo textsShuihudi Qin bamboo textsThe Shuihudi Qin bamboo texts are early Chinese texts written on bamboo slips, and are also sometimes called the Yúnmèng Qin bamboo texts. They were excavated in December 1975 from Tomb #11 at Chéngguān Shuìhǔdì , Yunmeng County, Hubei Province, China. The tomb belonged to a Qin administrator....
- Yinqueshan Han SlipsYinqueshan Han SlipsThe Yinqueshan Han Slips are ancient Chinese writing tablets, made of bamboo strips and were discovered in 1972. The tablets contain many important writings that were not previously known, and important copies of existing work....