(Translated by https://www.hiragana.jp/)
Tsinghua Bamboo Slips - Wikipedia Jump to content

Tsinghua Bamboo Slips

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Tsinghua bamboo slips)

The Tsinghua Bamboo Strips (simplified Chinese: 清きよし华简; traditional Chinese: 清華せいか簡; pinyin: Qīnghuá jiǎn) are a collection of Chinese texts dating to the Warring States period and written in ink on strips of bamboo, that were acquired in 2008 by Tsinghua University, China. The texts were obtained by illegal excavation, probably of a tomb in the area of Hubei or Hunan province, and were then acquired and donated to the university by an alumnus. The very large size of the collection and the significance of the texts for scholarship make it one of the most important discoveries of early Chinese texts to date.[1][2]

On 7 January 2014 the journal Nature announced that a portion of the Tsinghua Bamboo Strips represent "the world's oldest example" of a decimal multiplication table.[3]

Discovery, conservation and publication

[edit]

The Tsinghua Bamboo Strips (TBS) were donated to Tsinghua University in July 2008 by an alumnus of the university. The precise location(s) and date(s) of the illicit excavation that yielded the strips remain(s) unknown. An article in the Guangming Daily named the donor as Zhao Weiguo (赵伟国こく), and stated that the texts were purchased at "a foreign auction",[4] Neither the name of the auction house, nor the location or sum involved in the transaction were mentioned. Li Xueqin, the director of the conservation and research project, has stated that the wishes of the alumnus to maintain his identity secret will be respected.[5]

Similarities with previous discoveries, such as the manuscripts from the Guodian tomb, indicate that the TBS came from a mid-to-late Warring States Period (480–221BC) tomb in the region of China culturally dominated at that time by the Chu state. A single radiocarbon date (305±30BC) and the style of ornament on the accompanying box are in keeping with this conclusion. By the time they reached the university, the strips were badly affected by mold. Conservation work on the strips was carried out, and a Center for Excavated Texts Research and Preservation was established at Tsinghua on April 25, 2009. There are 2388 strips altogether in the collection, including a number of fragments.[6][7]

A series of articles discussing the TBS, intended for an educated but non-specialist Chinese audience, appeared in the Guangming Daily during late 2008 and 2009. The first volume of texts (photographic reproductions, transcriptions, and commentary) was published by the Tsinghua team in 2010.[8] The series is scheduled to have a total of 18 volumes, with the latest volume 13 forthcoming in December 2023. A series of studies and publications are appearing in the series The Tsinghua University Warring States Bamboo Manuscripts: Studies and Translations《清華せいか大學だいがく藏ぞう戰國せんごく竹ちく簡》研究けんきゅう与あずか英えい译, edited by Huang Dekuang 黃き德とく寬ひろし and Edward Shaughnessy.

The texts

[edit]

The Tsinghua manuscripts vary greatly in content. The collection caught attention because several of the TBS texts have connections to the received Shang Shu 尚書しょうしょ, Exalted Writings, a collection of texts dated to various periods from the first millennium BC to the 3rd century CE. Because of the incredible important role the Shang Shu has been playing in Chinese culture, the discovery of Warring States manuscripts that bear on its formation attracted interest. For example, the Yin zhi 尹いん至いたる manuscript from volume one has a partial overlap with the "Tang shi" 湯ゆ誓ちかい text in the Shang shu; volume 9 of the series includes a manuscript whose content largely overlaps the "Jin Teng" 金きむ滕 text in the Shang shu, and accordingly the editors titled the manuscript *Jin teng. Several others "writings-style"[9] manuscripts, however, are not found in the received Exalted Writings, either having been "lost" in the process of transmission, or else never having been incorporated into the canonical collection.[10]

Other content resembles that of annalistic histories (編年體へんねんたい史書ししょ), recording events from the beginning of the Western Zhou (mid-11th century BC) through to the early Warring States period (mid-5th century) is said to be similar in form and content to the received Bamboo Annals.[11]

Another text running across 14 strips recounts a celebratory gathering of the Zhou elite in the 8th year of the reign of King Wu of Zhou, prior to their conquest of the Shang dynasty. The gathering takes place in the ancestral temple of King Wen of Zhou, King Wu's father, and consisted of beer drinking and the recitation of hymns in the style of the received Shi Jing.[12]

Texts by volume

[edit]

Volume one

[edit]

The following texts were published in volume one: *Yin zhi 尹いん至いたる, *Yin's arrival; *Yin gao 尹いん誥, *Yin's Announcement; Cheng wu 程ほど寤; *Baoxun 保ほ訓くん, *The Protective Instructions; *Qi ye 耆夜; *Jin teng 金かね縢かが;*Huangmen 皇すめらぎ門もん, *August gate; and Zhai Gong zhi gu ming 祭さい公こう之の顧命 The Duke of Zhai's Retrospective Command; and Chu ju 楚すわえ居きょ.

  • *Yin zhi 尹いん至いたる, *Yin's arrival and *Yin gao 尹いん誥, *Yin's Announcement were written by the same scribe, and were considered two texts in the "writings" style.[13]
  • *Baoxun 保ほ訓くん, *The Protective Instructions. The text purports to be a record of a deathbed admonition by the Zhou king Wen Wang to his son and heir, Wu Wang. Although the team working on the text refers to it as "The Admonition of Protection" (or "Protector's Admonition", 保ほ训), their transcription of the text refers to a "Precious Admonition" (Bao Xun) and that may be the more appropriate editorial title.[14] The content of the king's speech revolves around a concept of The Middle (zhong 中なか) which seems to refer to an avoidance of extremes and an ability to consider multiple points of view. The king narrates a story of the sage-king Shun acquiring The Middle by living a modest, thoughtful life, and a more puzzling second tale which describes the Shang ancestor Wei (微ほろ) "borrowing The Middle from the River."[15][16] A complete translation and study has been published as part of the series The Tsinghua University Warring States Bamboo Manuscripts: Studies and Translations《清華せいか大學だいがく藏ぞう戰國せんごく竹ちく簡》研究けんきゅう与あずか英えい译.[17]

Volume two

[edit]

It includes one text only, the "Xinian" 繫年 (系けい年ねん), probably composed ca. 370 BC. This text relates key events of Zhou history. It comprises 138 strips in a relatively well preserved condition. Among the contents they transmit is an account of the origin of Qin by supporters of the Shang dynasty, who were opposed to the Zhou conquest.[18]

Volume three

[edit]

It includes the Fu Yue zhi ming 傅でん說せつ之の命めいじ, Command to Fu Yue;[19] the *Liang chen 良りょう臣しん, the Zhu ci 祝辭しゅくじ, among others.

Volume seven

[edit]

It includes "Zi Fan Zi Yu" 子こ犯はん子こ餘あまり, "Jin Wen Gong ru yu Jin" 晉すすむ文ぶん公こう入にゅう於晉, "Zhao jianzi" 趙ちょう簡子, "Yue Gong qi shi" 越えつ公こう其事.[20]

  • "Zi fan Zi Yu" 子こ犯はん子こ餘あまり records a dialogue between Zi Fan and Duke Mu of Qin. This takes place while Chong'er is in exile, traveling from state to state.[20]
  • "Jin Wen gong ru yu Jin" 晉すすむ文ぶん公こう入にゅう於晉 narrates the story of the Duke Wen of Jin (posthumous name of the aforementioned Chong'er) returning to his state after years of battle, and putting it in order.[21]

Volume eight

[edit]

It includes eight texts: *She ming 攝と命いのち, *Bang jia zhi zheng 邦家ほうか之の政せい, *Bang jia chu wei" 邦家ほうか處しょ位い; *Xin shi wei zhong 心こころ是ぜ謂いい中ちゅう; *Tianxia zhi dao 天下てんか之の道みち; Ba qi wu wei wu si wu xing zhi shu 八氣五味五祀五行之屬, and Yu Xia Yin Shang zhi zhi 虞おそれ夏なつ殷いん商しょう之の治ち.

  • *She ming 攝と命いのち, *Command to She. Titled by the editors. 32 strips. It purports to be a royal command to a certain She. It is written in shu 書しょ style.[22][10] The editors identified it as the "original" Shangshu chapter Jiong Ming 囧命.[23]
  • "Xin shi wei zhong" 心こころ是ぜ謂いい中ちゅう. *The heart is what is at the center, a short (8 strips) text of philosophical nature discussing the heart-mind (xin 心しん) as the central organ in charge of the body, but also the concept of "luck" and mandate (ming 命いのち). It includes the statement that humans are in charge of their destiny, so far otherwise unattested.[24]

Volume nine

[edit]

Volume nine, published in 2019, presents five manuscripts:

  • *Zhi zheng zhi dao 治ち政之まさゆき道どう. This manuskript is of 43 strips, around 44 cm long by 0.6. Based on the incision cuts on the verso of the strips and the similarities in the writing, the editors realized that this manuscript was originally bound together with *Bang jia zhi zheng 邦家ほうか之の政せい from volume eight, and the two should be read together.[25] Given that the manuscripts still present codicological differences, Jia Lianxian 賈連翔しょう identified them as an example of tong pian yi zhi 同どう篇へん異こと制せい, "one bundle with different configurations."[26]
  • Cheng ren 成人せいじん
  • *Nai ming (one and two) 迺命一いち二に (*Then he commanded). These are two manuscripts written by the same person, as noted by the editors. The first is of 12 strips; the strips are numbered from 1 to 11, with the last one being left blank after the conclusion of the text (signaled by a hook-shape mark). Similarly, the second manuscripts is of 16 strips, numbered from one to 15.[25] These two texts record commands given by an unnamed person to a group of officials (in the first one), and to a group of males who are presumably serving the person who is speaking.
  • Dao ci 禱辭

Volume twelve

[edit]

Volume twelve presents strip images, transcription and study of one manuscript, titled by the editors "San Bu Wei" 参さん不ふ韋, the name of the person who talks in the manuscript. The manuscript is of 124 strips wavering 32.8 cm in length; they are numbered on the verso side in well-preserved conditions. The content is otherwise unattested. In the text, San Bu Wei admonishes Qi 啟けい (founder of the Xia dynasty) on how to govern, revise punishments, and conduct rituals.[27]

Volume thirteen

[edit]

The volume contains 5 manuscripts:

  • Daifu Shi Li 大夫たいふ食しょく禮れい.
  • Daifu Shi Li Ji 大夫たいふ食しょく禮れい記き.
  • Wu yin tu 五音ごいん圖ず. One of the most striking features of this (and the following manuscript) is the size: the 35 extant strips (from 37, originally) of Wu Yin tu average around 19.3 cm, a length that is half of most of the manuscripts in the Tsinghua collection. The writing develops around the 5 edges of a star, which figures at the center. It has attracted a great deal of attention for being one of the few writings related to music that predate imperial times.[25]
  • Yue feng 樂らく風ふう.
  • Wei tian yong shen 畏かしこ天てん用よう身み. The text is reproduced in full in a paper by Shi Xiaoli 石せき小力こぢから.[28] The manuscript is of 17 strips, measuring 44.4 cm by 0.6 cm. The title was assigned by the editors, based on the two initial principles introduced by the manuscript: "being in awe of Heaven" 畏かしこ天てん and "using one's abilities" 用よう身み. The text articulates behavioral principles (pay attention to surroundings; speaking properly) and how even and the self/person differ. Shi Xiaoli notes several echoes with ideas known in the Xunzi 荀子.

A first introduction to the manuscripts on music can be found in Jia Lianxian's 贾连翔 2023 article in Zhongguo shi yanjiu dongtai 中國ちゅうごく史し研究けんきゅう動態どうたい.[29]

Decimal multiplication table

[edit]
The world's earliest artifacts of decimal multiplication table

Twenty-one bamboo strips of the Tsinghua Bamboo Strips, when assembled in the correct order, represent a decimal multiplication table that can be used to multiply numbers (any whole or half integer) up to 99.5.[3]

Joseph Dauben of the City University of New York called it "the earliest artefact of a decimal multiplication table in the world".[3] According to Guo Shuchun, director of the Chinese Society of the History of Mathematics, those strips filled a historical gap for mathematical documents prior to the Qin Dynasty.[30] "It helps establish the place-value system, a crucial development in the history of math", as Professor Wen Xing of Dartmouth College explains.[31] It is presumed that officials used the multiplication table to calculate land surface area, yields of crops and the amounts of taxes owed.[3]

A diagram of the Warring States-era decimal multiplication table showing the calculation of 12 × 34.5

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]

Citations

[edit]
  1. ^ "清しん华入藏ぞう战国竹ちく简典籍せき--专家称しょう学がく术价值不可ふか估量". Tsinghua University News. 2008-10-23. Archived from the original on 2008-10-27. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
  2. ^ "Tsinghua Acquires Warring States Bamboo Strips from Chu". Tsinghua University News. 2008-10-24. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
  3. ^ a b c d Qiu, Jane (7 January 2014). "Ancient times table hidden in Chinese bamboo strips". Nature. doi:10.1038/nature.2014.14482. S2CID 130132289. Archived from the original on 22 January 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  4. ^ "战国竹ちく简重回かい故こ土ど". Guangming Daily. 2008-10-30. Archived from the original on 2011-09-26. Retrieved 2009-05-14. 近日きんじつ，清きよし华大学がく宣布せんぷ，2100枚まい战国时期的てき竹たけ简入藏いりくら清しん华，它是由よし校友こうゆう赵伟国こく从境外がい拍はく卖会买到后きさき捐赠给清华的。
  5. ^ "李り学まなぶ勤つとむ谈清华竹简". Tsinghua University News. 2008-11-10. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2009-05-15. We respect the alumnus's wishes and have not further pursued the question of his identity. Nor do we know how this collection of bamboo slips came to leave the country. The important thing is that they are very well preserved. 我わが们尊重そんちょう校友こうゆう的てき意い愿すなお，没ぼつ有ゆう再さい去さ追つい问其个人身じんしん份，我わが们也不知ふち道どう这批竹ちく简是怎么流失りゅうしつ到いた国外こくがい去さ的てき，重要じゅうよう的てき是ぜ这批竹ちく简保存ほぞん得どく非常ひじょう好このみ。
  6. ^ "清しん华大学がく"出土しゅつど文献ぶんけん研究けんきゅう与あずか保ほ护中心ちゅうしん"成立せいりつ". Guangming Daily. 2009-05-04. Archived from the original on 2011-09-26. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
  7. ^ "Tsinghua University Unveils Its Center for Excavated Texts Research and Preservation". Tsinghua University News. 2009-04-26. Archived from the original on 2011-07-07. Retrieved 2009-05-04.
  8. ^ Li Xueqin (2010).
  9. ^ Allan, Sarah (2012). "On Shu 書しょ (Documents) and the Origin of the Shang Shu 尚書しょうしょ (Ancient Documents) in Light of Recently Discovered Bamboo Slip Manuscripts". Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies. 75 (3): 547–57. doi:10.1017/S0041977X12000547. JSTOR 41811208.
  10. ^ a b Shaughnessy, Edward L. (2023). The Yi Zhou Shu and Pseudo-Yi Zhou Shu Chapters, 《清華せいか大學だいがく藏ぞう戰國せんごく竹ちく簡》研究けんきゅう与あずか英えい译 The Tsinghua University Warring States Bamboo Manuscripts: Studies and Translations (in Chinese and English) (1st ed.). Beijing: Qinghua daxue chubanshe 清華せいか大學だいがく出版しゅっぱん社しゃ. ISBN 978-7-302-60187-6.
  11. ^ Li Xueqin (2008-12-01). "初はつ识清华简". Guangming Daily. Archived from the original on 2011-09-26. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
  12. ^ "清しん华简："让人读起来らい太ふと激げき动"". Guangming Daily. 2009-04-28. Archived from the original on 2020-11-04. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
  13. ^ Zhou Boqun (周しゅう博ひろし群ぐん) (n.d.). The Yi Yin Manuscripts and Related Texts (vol 3) (in English and Chinese). Beijing: Qinghua daxue chubanshe 清華せいか大學だいがく出版しゅっぱん社しゃ.
  14. ^ Jiang Guanghui (2009-05-04). "《保ほ训》十じゅう疑うたぐ". Guangming Daily. Archived from the original on 2011-09-26. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
  15. ^ Li Xueqin (李り学まなぶ勤つとむ) (2009-04-13). "周しゅう文ぶん王おう遗言". Guangming Daily. Archived from the original on 2011-09-26. Retrieved 2009-05-15.
  16. ^ Zhao Ping'an (赵平安へいあん) (2009-04-13). "《保ほ训》的てき性せい质和结构". Guangming Daily. Archived from the original on 2011-09-26. Retrieved 2009-05-14.
  17. ^ Shaughnessy, Edward L. (2023). "*Bao Xun 保ほ訓くん *The Protective Instruction". The Yi Zhou Shu and Pseudo-Yi Zhou Shu Chapters (1st ed.). Beijing: Qinghua daxue chubanshe. pp. 236–262. ISBN 978-7-302-60187-6.
  18. ^ Yuri Pines, with Lothar von Falkenhausen, Gideon Shelach and Robin D.S. Yates, "General Introduction: Qin History Revisited," in: Yuri Pines, Lothar von Falkenhausen, Gideon Shelach and Robin D.S. Yates, eds., Birth of an Empire: The State of Qin revisited. Berkeley: University of California Press, 2014:12.
  19. ^ Poli, Maddalena. "Command to Fu Yue 傅でん說せつ之の命いのち. Database of Religious History, Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia". Database of Religious History. Archived from the original on 2022-02-28. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  20. ^ a b Li Xueqin; 清華せいか大學だいがく出土しゅつど文獻ぶんけん研究けんきゅう與あずか保護ほご中心ちゅうしん, eds. (2017). Qinghua daxue cang Zhanguo zhujian qi 清華せいか大學だいがく藏ぞう戰國せんごく竹ちく簡七. Zhong Xi shuju. pp. 91–99.
  21. ^ Li Xueqin; 清華せいか大學だいがく出土しゅつど文獻ぶんけん研究けんきゅう與あずか保護ほご中心ちゅうしん, eds. (2017). Qinghua daxue cang Zhanguo zhujian qi 清華せいか大學だいがく藏ぞう戰國せんごく竹ちく簡七. Zhong Xi shuju. pp. 100–105.
  22. ^ Shaughnessy, Edward L. (2020). "A Possible Lost Classic: The *She ming, or *Command to She". T'oung Pao. 106 (3–4): 266–308. doi:10.1163/15685322-10634P02. S2CID 229014779.
  23. ^ Li Xueqin; 清華せいか大學だいがく出土しゅつど文獻ぶんけん研究けんきゅう與あずか保護ほご中心ちゅうしん, eds. (2018). Qinghua daxue cang Zhanguo zhujian 清華せいか大學だいがく藏ぞう戰國せんごく竹ちく簡, vol. 8.
  24. ^ Poli, Maddalena. "*The Heart is what is at the center, *Xin shi wei Zhong 心こころ是ぜ謂いい中ちゅう". Database of Religious History. Vancouver, BC: University of British Columbia. p. 6. Archived from the original on 2022-02-28. Retrieved 2022-02-28.
  25. ^ a b c Qinghua daxue chutuwenxian yanjiu yu baohu zhongxin bian 清華せいか大學だいがく出土しゅつど文獻ぶんけん研究けんきゅう與あずか保護ほご中心ちゅうしん編へん, and Huang Dekuan 黃き德とく寬ひろし (2023). Qinghua Daxue Cang Zhanguo Zhujian (shi san) 清華せいか大學だいがく藏ぞう戰國せんごく竹ちく簡(拾ひろえ三さん) [Warring States Bamboo Slips in the Collection of Tsinghua University thirteen] (first ed.). Shanghai: Zhongxi shuju. p. 71.
  26. ^ Jia Lianxiang, 賈連翔しょう (2020). "《从〈治おさむ邦之くにゆき道どう〉〈治おさむ政之まさゆき道どう〉看み战国竹ちく书"同どう篇へん异制"现象》". 清きよし华大学がく学がく报. 1.
  27. ^ Li Xueqin; Huang Dekuan (黃き德とく寬ひろし), eds. (2022). Qinghua Daxue Cang Zhanguo Zhujian (Shier) 清華せいか大學だいがく藏ぞう戰國せんごく竹ちく簡(拾ひろえ貳に) [Warring States Bamboo Slips in the Collection of Tsinghua University (Twelve)] (in Chinese). Shanghai: Zhongxi shuju. p. 109. ISBN 978-7-5475-1969-1.
  28. ^ Shi Xiaoli, 石いし小力こぢから (2023). "清しん华简《畏かしこ天てん用よう身み》中ちゅう的てき天人てんにん思想しそう". 中国ちゅうごく史し研究けんきゅう动态. 5.
  29. ^ JIa Lianxiang, 賈連翔しょう (2023). "清しん华简《五音ごいん图》《乐风》两种古こ乐书初はつ探さがせ". 中国ちゅうごく史し研究けんきゅう动态. 5.
  30. ^ "Bamboo math documents called China's earliest". Upi.com. Jan 20, 2014. Archived from the original on 22 January 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2014.
  31. ^ Berlin, Jeremy (5 April 2014). "World's Oldest Decimal Times Table Found in China". National Geographic. Archived from the original on 29 July 2021. Retrieved 29 July 2021.

Sources

[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tsinghua_Bamboo_Slips&oldid=1214624888"