Abstracts of Major Papers

The Divination and Sacrificial Prayers Strips Unearthed fromTomb 183 and 264 in Penngjiawan, Zaolinpu, Jingzhou

Zhao Xiaobin

Abstract：In recent years, during archaeological excavations of Zaolinpu ancient tomb complex in Jingzhou, some bamboo strips have been excavated from a number of small Warring States Chu tombs. In this paper, the divination and sacrificial prayer strips unearthed from tomb 183 and 264 in Pengjiawan were interpreted： E娥(the owner of the tomb), Ji ding jun集定君(E’s ancestor)and Qi fu yin尹(E’s father) were recorded in twelve bamboo strips which were excavated from tomb 183; it was recorded in one bamboo strip unearthed from tomb 264 that Se色 had sacrificed and prayed to her ancestors of three generations.

Key words:Zaolinpu ancient tomb complex, Pengjiawan tomb, bamboo strips in Chu State, divination and sacrificial prayers

Explaining the Graphin Warring States Chu Slips

Jiang Lujing

Abstract:The graph, composed ofquan泉 andge戈, is found in Warring States Chu slips excavated from tomb M324 from Longhuihe, Jingzhou, and is also found in the divination prayer slips excavated from Wangshanqiao tomb M1, Jingzhou. The graphge戈 is a confusion with the graphyi弋. Because the sounds ofyi弋 andyu聿 are close to each other in ancient times, the graph, should be a variant of the graphsu肅, which is composed ofquan泉 andyu聿.王 in the Wangshanqiao bamboo slips refers to King Su 肅王, and the text relates how azhi戠bull is sacrificed during offers to King Su of Chu. In the Longhuihe bamboo slips, the wordshould be read assou蒐, and the text relates that in the spring of the fifteenth year of his reign, King Zhuang of Chu reviewed his carriages and horses at Mie 蔑. The event is related to the invasion of Zheng by the Prince of Chu in the tenth year of the Duke of Xuan.

Key words:Warring States period,,su肅,sou蒐, King Zhuang of Chu

Three Supplementary Studies on Oracle Bone Inscriptions

Huang Bo

Key words:Interpretation of Oracle Bone Inscriptions,zao遭,huang,wuxing勿鮏

A Review and Outlook on a Hundred Years’ Study ofPlace Names in the Oracle Bones Inscriptions

Ma Panpan

Abstract:The study of place names in oracle bone inscriptions followed the rise of the study of oracle bone inscriptions. Since the discovery of oracle bone inscriptions more than 120 years ago, the study of place names in oracle bone inscriptions has become more and more scientific and mature. The task of the study of place names is to determine their identity and location. With the development of the study, especially the progress in grammar, the former has been basically completed. The identification of place names is reasonable, and some ancestor names, time words, verbs and so on, which were mistaken for place names, have been corrected. The focus of study is now on the location of these places. As research methods are constantly updated, new achievements are constantly emerging, and problems are constantly highlighted and solved. The key problem is determining the exact location of the places, and the solution lies in the continuous revaluation of research methods. Focusing on research methods, this paper presents a review on the study of place names in oracle bone inscriptions in the past 120 years.

Keywords:oracle bone inscriptions, place names, review of past studies

Supplementary Interpretations on the Graphin Bronze Inscriptions

Chao Fulin

Abstract:From the middle and late Western Zhou period to the Spring and Autumn period, the graphzongis often used in conjunction withsi(司) and is often seen in the language of appointment inscriptions, especially in the inscriptions of heavy vessels such as the Mao Gongdingand Fan Shenggui. It plays an important role in explaining the official system of the Western Zhou Dynasty. There is a rich body of research on the graphzong, but there is no final conclusion so far. In recently surfaced Spring and Autumn bronzes from Yishui, Shandong Province, forms of the graph appear wherein the sound is specified. This has provided a way out of our predicament. However, the phonetic element of this new graph should not be read assi恖, but rather aschong憃. Therefore, there is still some room for discussion on its pronunciation and its meaning within the inscription.

Key words:Zhou Dynasty, vessel inscription,

Supplementary Explanation on the Identity ofthe Owner of the Mi Jia Chime-bells

Jiang Weinan

Abstract:The Mi Jia Chime-bells, unearthed from Zaoshulin M169 in Suizhou, Hubei, were commissioned by Mi Jia instead of Zenghou Bao. This paper believes that the inscription of the Mi Jia Chime-bells is phrased in here voice. The first part of the inscription is a brief history of the enfeoffment of Zeng. Mi Jia relates she marries into Zeng as a descendant of King Wen of Chu and daughter of King Mu of Chu. In the second part, Mi Jia reviews her diligence in governance and her protection of their territories after her husband Xigong’s death. The Mi Jia Chime-bells provide new information on the history of the Zeng State in the mid-Spring and Autumn Period and further enriches our understanding of the relationship between Zeng and Chu in this period.

Key words:Mi Jia，Nan Gong，King Wen of Chu, King Mu of Chu，the relationship between Zeng and Chu

A Research on the Inscriptions of the Si Nian Shang ChengshiPi

Xu Jungang

Abstract:This article analyses the inscription on the Si Nian Shang Chengshipi四年上成氏鈹 catalogued in the bookThecatalogueofbronzeweaponswithinscriptions, and discusses the contents of the inscriptions, and the place, time, and system of casting. The name Shang Chengshi上成氏 should refer to Shang Cheng上成, and it may be the Cheng 成 referred to in inscriptions on straight knife coins from Zhao. Its location is likely related to Chenghou State of Zhuo County in the Western Han Dynasty, or the Cheng Xiang 成鄉(xiāng) subordinated to Guangping State. Thefourthyearrefers either to the fourth year of King Daoxiang of Zhao (241B.C.) , or to the fourth year of the King Qian of Zhao (232B.C.), the former seems especially likely.

Key words:Shang Chengshi 上成氏, casting system, Zhao state

Four Suggestions to Supplement IndecipherableWords in the Shanghai Museum Slips

Zhang Ronghui

Key words:Shanghai Museum slips,Diziwen弟子問,Fanwuliuxing凡物流形, indecipherable words, supplement

An Interpretation ofJiin the TsinghuaYueGongqiShiManuscript

Zhang Xinjun

Abstract:Slip 74 of the TsinghuaYuegongqishi越公其事 manuscript has the following passage that can be compared with a section of theGuoyu國語： tian jia huo yu Wu bang, bu zai qianhou, ding ji gu shen 天加禍于吳邦，不在前后，丁伇孤身. In that passage, the meaning of the wordji伇 is still unresolved. From similar uses ofshu殳andpu攴 as signific in Chu script, we can argue thatji伇 is a different form forji(which haspu攴 as signific). Because different forms ofji汲 andji伋 in the Shanghai Museum manuscripts use thepu攴 signific,jishould be transcribed asji伋 and read asji及.Ji及 is often used together with various words for “disaster” ,and has the negative meaning of “meeting with disaster”.

Key words:Yuegongqishi越公其事，shu殳，pu攴，jihuo及禍

On Tulou

Liu Siliang

Abstract:There are approximately four kinds of images fortulou土螻in received texts, some of which can be linked to recently unearthed documents. The section musicians instruments in the Xinyang bamboo slips presentstulouas aJushou虡獸, instead of a Tomb-guard beast. TheflyingJuin ancient texts should also be understood as aJushou. The monster carved on the beams of the stone chime from the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng is probably a standard form of this image.Tuloucan also refer tolougu螻蛄 or Gryllotalpa (mole cricket).Tulouin theMyriadThingsfrom the Fuyang bamboo slips, as well as the image ofchongren蟲人 warriors drawn on the inner coffin from the Tomb of Marquis Yi of Zeng, are both Gryllotalpidae, and probably use a similar appellation to theJushou“Tulou” to refer to another object.Shuowen, in turn, understandsfeifeiastulou, this is likely based on incorrectly understandingaslou螻.

Key words:Tulou土螻, musicians’ instruments,Jushou虡獸, Marquis Yi of Zeng,Shanhaijing

The Research on Dingyi in Western Han BambooSlips of Changsha Zoumalou

Chen Songchang

Abstract:The word Dingyi 定邑 is not recorded in the received historical books, but is found many times in the texts on Western Han bamboo slips of Changsha Zoumalou.The paper analyzes the relevant materials and argues that Dingyi was built by Liu Fa, the first King of Changsha. Liu Fa imitated his father’s mausoleum to build Dingyi, which had a special name at that time and was named Dingyi after the death of Li Fa with his posthumous name. Besides, Dingyi was not only a mausoleum, but also a place that was established in the same level as counties and owned independent judicial power with abundant officials and clerks.

Key words:Zoumalou Western Han bamboo slips, Dingyi, officials and clerks, jurisdiction

Varied Notes on the Inscriptions of the Stele for Zhang Yu

Chen Jian

Abstract:The first part of the paper reexamines several graphs from the Stele for Zhang Yu 張禹, which were previously transcribed asge割,ju舉,weng蕹,er爾,fang方,feng赗,xuan選, andyong永. The paper argues that they should be identified aspou剖,ji基,huai,ci(i.e.ci茦),yi芀 (i.e.yi艾),zeng贈,song送, andshi示, respectively. In the second part, I stress that the forms 芀 and 艻, which frequently occur in excavated Han texts, are both variants foryi艾 denoting the wordyi刈 “to mow”. There is sufficient and solid evidence to support that. The third part suggests that the phrasezangshiChengZhoushibuwangjun葬是成周示不忘君 “[The Duke of Zhou] was buried in Cheng Zhou, indicating that he did not forget his lord” originated from anecdotes of the Duke of Zhou. Furthermore, the phrasehuanglingbingbi皇靈炳璧 “the august ancestor shines on thebijade” from the inscription of the Stele for Jing Yun 景云, which has not yet been interpreted, were adapted from stories of King Ping of Chu 楚平王. The last part of the paper suggests that the characterwen溫 in the phrasewenji溫給 seen in the “Biography of Zhang Yu” in theHouHanshu后漢書 should be corrected toying溋 (denotingying盈 “plentiful”).

Key words:Stele for Zhang Yu 張禹，supplementary transcriptions and interpretations，yi芀/艻(刈/艾)，Stele for Jing Yun 景云，allusions，wenji溫給

A Textual Research on The Names of Qiu of Duxiang inLinxiang Princedom from The Wu StateBamboo Slip Documents Unearthed at Changsha

Yang Zhenhong

Abstract:Through theincomeandpayout出入 documents of Zoumalou Bamboo Slips, this paper mainly investigates the name and number of Qiu 丘 where the villagers of Duxiang, Linxiang princedom locate. The organizer reads out 101 names of Qiu, among which, 37 names are confirmed by comparison with the map, and 27 names are misinterpreted or incomplete. The slips about Duxiang are concentrated in Zoumalou Bamboo Slips (Vol. 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 8). Qiu is most named after orientation, topography, vegetation, rivers or lakes and so on. When writing the name of Qiu, there is a phenomenon of replacing complicated characters with simplified characters or variant characters.

Key words:The Wu State Bamboo Slip Documents Unearthed at Changsha, Linxiang Princedom, Duxiang, Qiu, the “income and payout” documents

Rethinking the Research Approach and Methodology of Documents

Guo Weitao

Abstract:At present, the unearthed documents have reached 200,000 to 300,000 pieces, which are of inestimable value to the study of the history of the Warring States, Qin and Han dynasties. However, the nature and characteristics of the documents are very different from those of the heirloom documents, so it is not enough to give full play to the role of the documentary records, but to consider them as unearthed artifacts with archaeological properties for collation, publication and research. This paper advocates the importance of archaeological information and the style of the documents, focusing on the material and textual forms of the documents, the functional zones of the excavated land and excavated sites, the names of the archives, the nature of the archives, the institutions of the leftover documents, the abandonment process, etc. Of course, if we are to achieve this degree, the current stage of archaeological excavation and collation and publication work also need further improvement.

Keywords:documentary archives,wenshuxue文書學(xué), archaeological information

The Transitive VerbYiin the TsinghuaManuscriptSiGaoand Bronze Inscriptions

Ren He & Jiang Wen

Abstract:The Tsinghua manuscriptSigao四告 contains four different announcements, and all end with the same phrase：yiergufu宜爾祜福. The exact meaning of the wordyi宜 has yet to be revealed. After a thorough examination of the uses ofyiin received pre-Qin texts from a linguistic perspective, this paper finds that the exact meaning of the transitive verbyiis “to fit”, specifically speaking, “the subject meets the requirement of fitting the object.” On this basis, this paper argues that the wordyiin theSigaomanuscript also expresses the meaning “to fit”, and that the phraseyiergufushould be understood as “to fit the blessings you give.” Furthermore, this paper points out that the graphyi義 in Western and Eastern Zhou bronze inscriptions, including the Shi qiangpan史墻盤, Xingzhong鐘, Qin ziguigai秦子簋蓋, and Guo jizhong虢季鐘, should also be understood as writing the wordyi“to fit.”

Key words:Sigao, bronze inscriptions, the transitive verbyi, lexical meaning, Old Chinese

Scribes, Assistants, and the Materiality ofAdministrative Documents in Qin-Early Han China：

Excavated Evidence from Liye, Shuihudi, and Zhangjiashan

Tsang Wing Ma

Abstract:As a result of the increasing administrative needs in the early imperial period, the profession of scribes was liberated from being the exclusive reserve of traditional hereditary families and opened to aspirants from non-hereditary families. Based on the excavated legal and administrative texts from Liye, Shuihudi, and Zhangjiashan, this paper explores the complementary nature of the scribes and assistants to understand the opening of the scribal profession. This paper also coins a concept of “administrative literacy,” which suggests that the materiality of written surfaces was a significant factor in understanding the literacy of administrative officials in early imperial China.

Key words:scribes， assistants， liye, shuihudi, zhangjiashan， administrative literacy