10,000 ancient bamboo Documents ("Slips") unearthed in Hunan

XinBus News Agency ^ | Story Filed: Monday, July 01, 2002 2:49 AM EST | Editorial Staff

[vannrox]

10,000 ancient bamboo Documents ("Slips") unearthed in Hunan

Story Filed: Monday, July 01, 2002 2:49 AM EST

CHANGSHA, Jul 1, 2002 (Xinhua via COMTEX) -- More than 10,000 bamboo slips dating from the Warring States period (BC.476-BC.221) have been unearthed from an historic site in central China's Hunan province.

Gao Chongwen, director of the archaeological institute of Beijing University, said the find was the largest of its kind and would offer more clues for archaeological research.

Chinese archaeologists discovered the slips in a 16-meter deep well in an ancient city which was located at Liye village, Longshan county in Hunan, in an area expected to be swamped in the construction of a hydropower station.

So far, the content of four of the slips has been deciphered. The first slip recorded a multiplication table, the second held the name of the ancient city, the third reflected the relationships of local ethnic groups and the fourth was engraved with historical data concerning the Qin Dynasty (BC.221-BC.207) which followed the Warring States period.

[vannrox]

This is great. I wonder what kinds of history and information will be extracted from the 10,000 documents!

[gov_bean_ counter]

10,000 bamboo slips

Most of them read, "Medium starch, pick up tomorrow after 5".

[68-69TonkinGulfYachtClub]

FYI

[keithtoo]

I wonder if any use the word "oriental"?

[dighton]

Most of them read, "Medium starch, pick up tomorrow after 5".

What you said.

[Paul Atreides]

Ancient Chinese secret, huh?

[DoughtyOne]

Yeah, but the first document deciphered stated: Kilroy was here!

But seriously, this is interesting. That's a great find. It would be very interesting to be able to see and read more about them.

[DoughtyOne]

Aw, that warrants the one liner of the day award. Good one.

[Consort]

Ancient Chinese copout: The panda ate my homework.

[dr_who]

Didn't the Emperor Qin order all historical documents from before his time to be destroyed? Maybe there's some lost history in there or something.

[shaggy eel]

The first slip recorded a multiplication table, the second held the name of the ancient city, the third reflected the relationships of local ethnic groups and the fourth was engraved with historical data concerning the Qin Dynasty (BC.221-BC.207) which followed the Warring States period.

,,, looks like they knew the value of time capsules.

[lizma]

Think shags on to something.

Why not dump 10,000 piece of info into a well if not for safe keeping. During Henry VIII's reign cobs of religous icons were buried.

The other hand it might have been a spring cleaning day.

Anyway, Vannrox, thank you for the post.

[Quix]

CHEEKY comment. . . but a bit funny.

[brat]

What is a slip?

[brat]

Sorry about that. LOL I mean is it like papyrus or is it like a wood carving?

[jws3sticks]

Number 5 reads:

No ticky, no laundlie!

[Iris7]

My understanding is that the "slip" is a flat piece of split off bamboo, with Chinese characters written on the white split surface. There is a hole on one end to string the slips into a book.

[1rudeboy]

[JudyB1938]

.

[blam]

Thanks for the ping. (Finally got back home and finally got the phone line working again)