Introduction: A Window into Ancient China

The large-scale excavation of Han Dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) bamboo and wooden slips—known as jian (简) and du (牍)—stands as one of the most significant archaeological discoveries of early 20th-century China. To date, tens of thousands of these inscribed slips have been unearthed across regions such as Xinjiang, Gansu, Hunan, Hubei, and Shandong, totaling nearly 70,000 pieces. These artifacts have revolutionized the study of Han history, offering unparalleled insights into administration, military affairs, literature, medicine, and daily life. The field of jianduxue (简牍学)—the study of these slips—has since emerged as an international academic discipline, continuously expanding as new discoveries come to light.

The Early Discoveries: A Story of Loss and Recovery

The initial discoveries of Han slips were largely controlled by foreign explorers, leading to many artifacts being taken overseas—a phenomenon historian Chen Yinke lamented as a “heartbreaking chapter in China’s academic history.” The first major finds were made by Aurel Stein, a British-Hungarian explorer, who uncovered Han and Jin-era slips in Xinjiang’s Niya, Loulan, and Dunhuang regions. These early expeditions, conducted by figures like Sven Hedin and Russian explorer Pyotr Kozlov, yielded invaluable materials but also highlighted the challenges of cultural preservation.

Chinese scholars began their own systematic excavations in 1927, when Huang Wenbi of the Sino-Swedish Northwest Scientific Expedition discovered 71 wooden slips near Lop Nur (Lop Lake), bearing reign titles like Huanglong and Yuanyan from the late Western Han. Further discoveries in Inner Mongolia and Gansu, including the famed Juyan Han Slips, revealed over 11,000 administrative and military documents. These slips, initially studied in Beijing before being relocated to Taipei during wartime, remain foundational to Han scholarship.

Major Archaeological Breakthroughs (1949–Present)

Post-1949, archaeological efforts intensified, yielding dozens of major Han slip caches:

– 1959 (Gansu): The Wuwei Han Slips, including the Yili (仪礼, Book of Etiquette and Ceremonial) and the “Ten Canes Edict” (王杖十简), which detailed elderly care policies.
– 1972 (Shandong): The Yinqueshan Han Slips, containing military texts like Sunzi’s Art of War and the long-lost Sun Bin’s Art of War, resolving debates about their authorship.
– 1973 (Hebei): The Dingxian Slips, featuring Confucian texts such as the Analects and legal documents.
– 1972–1974 (Gansu): The Juyan New Slips, with nearly 20,000 military and administrative records spanning the Han to Jin periods.
– 1990s (Gansu): The Xuanquan Zhi Slips, a postal archive offering unprecedented details about Han courier systems.

These discoveries transformed understanding of Han governance, law, and daily life. For example, the “Yongyuan Equipment Inventory” (永元器物簿) from Juyan meticulously recorded military supplies, while medical slips from Gansu and Hubei revealed advanced Han pharmacology and acupuncture techniques.

Cultural and Social Impacts

### 1. Literature and Philosophy
Han slips preserved both canonical and lost texts. The Wuwei Yili slips confirmed the authenticity of Confucian rituals, while the Yinqueshan Sun Bin’s Art of War ended centuries of debate about its existence. Discoveries like the Book of Songs in Anhui and the Cangjiepian (an ancient dictionary) underscored the Han’s role in transmitting pre-Qin knowledge.

### 2. Law and Administration
Slips like the “Edict of the Second Year of Ganlu” (甘露二年丞相御史律令) detailed legal codes, taxation, and border defense. The Juyan and Dunhuang slips revealed the Han’s sophisticated fengsui (烽燧) beacon system, which used smoke and fire signals to relay military alerts across the frontier.

### 3. Science and Medicine
Medical slips from Gansu’s Han Tanpo and Hubei’s Zhangjiashan documented treatments for ailments ranging from fevers to gynecological issues. The Yin Shu (引书), a guide to therapeutic exercises, highlighted early Chinese advancements in physiotherapy.

Legacy and Modern Relevance

The study of Han slips has reshaped historiography:
– Chronology: Calendrical slips like the Yuanguang Almanac (元光元年历谱) helped reconstruct Han timekeeping.
– Military History: The Shang Sunjiazhai Slips (上孙家寨汉简) detailed Han army structures and merit-based promotions.
– Everyday Life: “Tomb inventories” (qiance, 遣策) from Mawangdui and Yinwan listed burial goods, offering glimpses into Han material culture.

Today, jianduxue bridges archaeology, philology, and digital humanities. Projects like the China Bamboo Slips Database are making these texts accessible worldwide, ensuring their legacy endures. As new slips emerge—such as those from Hunan’s Huxi Tomb (虎溪汉简)—the Han Dynasty’s voice grows clearer, reminding us that these ancient “pages” are far more than relics; they are the living roots of China’s written heritage.

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