Archaeologists Find Thousands Of 2,000-Year-Old Files

Ananova ^ | 7-21-2002

[blam]

Archaeologists find thousands of 2,000-year-old files

Chinese archaeologists have found thousands of official files from over 2,000 years ago.

The 20,000 ancient bamboo slips have details about the political, economic and cultural life of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC).

The information on the bamboo slips includes details about army food consumption and relations between different ethnic groups.

Xinhua says they were unearthed in southern China's Hunan province.

Experts are comparing the find to that of the Qin Dynasty terracotta soldiers and horses unearthed in Shaanxi province in the 1970s.

Researchers say only 2,000 bamboo slips were unearthed during the last century.

Guo Weimin, deputy director of the Hunan Provincial Archaeological Institute, said: "This is the first time that such a huge amount of bamboo slips recording history ranging from the Spring and Autumn Period (770-476 BC) to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 25) has been found in China."

Story filed: 14:15 Sunday 21st July 2002

[Libloather]

I'll go first. They belonged to the Hildabeast - and they were found in the map room...

[TightSqueeze]

My Turn...

Guo Weimin, deputy director of the Hunan Provincial Archaeological Institute, said: "Upon closer exmanation it was discovered that these were actually ancient expired WorldCom warrants @ $50.00.".

[GaltMeister]

Tomorrow's news will show that they found the missing FBI files and Rose lawfirm's billing records underneath the old files.

[aristeides]

How would bamboo slips survive 2,000 years? I don't think Hunan has anything like a desert climate, does it?

[aristeides]

Not so outlandish a parallel. The Chin dynasty was about as close as China got to being a totalitarian state, before Mao. Of course, that may be the reason why these documents have survived. The Chin dynasty had a notably short life. Until now, the best documented government in world history has probably been Nazi Germany, since it ended prematurely and its documents fell into the hands of its enemies.

[blam]

Climatic Features: subtropical, humid, monsoon climate; short winters with low temperatures in the south and the northwestern mountains; frequent rainstorms between spring and summer; droughts from summer to autumn

Average Temperature: 1,250 - 1,750 mm; high precipitation on the seaward side of mountains; 40 percent of the rain falls from April to June

Physical Features: mountains and hills cover 80 percent of the province; a small plain surrounds Dongting Lake in the central north

Mountains: Wuling Mountains in the northwest; Xuefeng Mountains in the central west; Luoxiao Mountains in the east; Nanting Mountains in the south

Rivers: Xiangjiang, Yuanjiang, Zishui, Lishui Rivers and Yangtze River

Lakes: Dongting and Datong Lakes

[Paul Atreides]

Back when it was called the Papyrus Law Firm?

[Paul Atreides]

Hmmmmmm.....maybe that mummy, who got Bubba so horny, was her secretary.

[Larry Lucido]

"Hey! The missing evidence in the KelnerYing case! He really was innocent!

"Frank, KelnerYing went to the chair two thousand years ago.

"Well, uh......"

[Gritty]

Government bureaucracy being what it is, I'll bet they find copies of these in some government bureau in Peking.

[john in missouri]

My turn.

Rumor has it that one of the bamboo shoots records a high financial official in one of the Emperor's favorite companies admitting that profits had been vastly overstated on most of the other bamboo shoots.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Experts are comparing the find to that of the Qin Dynasty terracotta soldiers and horses unearthed in Shaanxi province in the 1970s.

I've seen these guys, and they are really neat. Every face and uniform is different. Some of these soldiers are definitely not "Chinese" -- they look more like Turks.

This was the best part of my tour of China in 1983, and not too many people go there because is is off the beaten path and expensive. I highly recommend the ruins at Xian where the soldiers are being unearthed.

[ChadGore]

My Turn...

Guo Weimin, deputy director of the Hunan Provincial Archaeological Institute, said: "Upon closer exmanation it was discovered that these were actually 20,000 fortune cookie fortunes that all said 'That wasn't chicken!'".

[Willie Green]

How would bamboo slips survive 2,000 years?

I dunno, but maybe someone should research making hard drives out of bamboo.

[TC Rider]

My turn,

Upon much closer examination, the slips were discovered to all say '8 tunics, no starch'.

[corkoman]

no tickee no washee

[wattsmag2]

Guo Weimin, deputy director of the Hunan Provincial Archaeological Institute, said: "Upon closer exmanation it was discovered that these were actually ancient expired WorldCom warrants @ $50.00.".

Certified by the Han Der San accountants.

[aruanan]

How would bamboo slips survive 2,000 years? I don't think Hunan has anything like a desert climate, does it?

If chitin with original pigmentation can survive for millions of years, there wouldn't be any problem with bamboo. Besides, there's lots of stuff from all around the world that has survived 2000 years.

[blam]

"This was the best part of my tour of China in 1983, and not too many people go there because is is off the beaten path and expensive. I highly recommend the ruins at Xian where the soldiers are being unearthed."

My sister went there, she was as awe struck as you. I've seen them in magazines and TV. Each is unique.