Zoumalou, Archaeological site with bamboo slips in Changsha, China.
Zoumalou is an archaeological site in Changsha where tens of thousands of ancient bamboo slips inscribed with characters were excavated. These slips served as paper for record-keeping and contain writings about governance, taxes, and legal matters.
The site was discovered in 1996 and contained documents from between 220 and 280 AD during a period of divided rule. This era saw multiple states competing for control over Chinese territory and its resources.
The bamboo slips reveal how ancient administrators governed and enforced rules across their territory. They show the practical side of law and order in a period now distant from our own.
The findings can be viewed at the Changsha Jiandu Museum, which is dedicated to preserving and displaying these materials. Allocate enough time to examine the numerous inscribed slips and read the exhibition explanations carefully.
The volume of slips unearthed here surpassed all previous discoveries of this type across China by a considerable margin. This collection represents the most substantial archive of ancient Chinese administrative writing ever recovered.
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