Written on Bamboo and Silk: The Beginnings of Chinese Books and Inscriptions, Second Edition

Paleography, which often overlaps with archaeology, deciphers ancient inscriptions and modes of writing to reveal the knowledge and workings of earlier societies. In this now-classic paleographic study of China, Tsuen-Hsuin Tsien traces the development of Chinese writing from the earliest inscriptions to the advent of printing, with specific attention to the tools and media used. Now expanded and updated, this edition includes material that treats the many major documents and ancient Chinese artifacts uncovered over the forty years since the book's first publication. Substantial contributions from Edward L. Shaughnessy, including a new afterword, complete this long-awaited second edition. __Written on Bamboo and Silk__—the only book of its kind available in English—has long been considered a landmark in its field. Critical in this regard is the excavation of numerous sites throughout China, where hundreds of thousands of documents written on bamboo and silk—as well as other media—were found, including some of the earliest copies of historical, medical, astronomical, military, and religious texts that are now essential to the study of early Chinese literature, history, and philosophy. Discoveries such as these have made the amount of material evidence on the origins and evolution of communication throughout Chinese history exceedingly broad and rich, and yet Tsien succeeds in tackling it all and building on the earlier classic work that changed the course of study and understanding of Chinese paleography. Paleography, which often overlaps with archaeology, deciphers ancient inscriptions and modes of writing to reveal the knowledge and workings of earlier societies. In this now-classic paleographic study of China, Tsuen-Hsuin Tsien traces the development of Chinese writing from the earliest inscriptions to the advent of printing, with specific attention to the tools and media used. Now expanded and updated, this edition includes material that treats the many major documents and ancient Chinese artifacts uncovered over the forty years since the book's first publication. Substantial contributions from Edward L. Shaughnessy, including a new afterword, complete this long-awaited second edition. Written on Bamboo and Silk —the only book of its kind available in English—has long been considered a landmark in its field. Critical in this regard is the excavation of numerous sites throughout China, where hundreds of thousands of documents written on bamboo and silk—as well as other media—were found, including some of the earliest copies of historical, medical, astronomical, military, and religious texts that are now essential to the study of early Chinese literature, history, and philosophy. Discoveries such as these have made the amount of material evidence on the origins and evolution of communication throughout Chinese history exceedingly broad and rich, and yet Tsien succeeds in tackling it all and building on the earlier classic work that changed the course of study and understanding of Chinese paleography. Paleography, which often overlaps with archaeology, deciphers ancient inscriptions and modes of writing to reveal the knowledge and workings of earlier societies. In this now-classic paleographic study of China, Tsuen-Hsuin Tsien traces the development of Chinese writing from the earliest inscriptions to the advent of printing, with specific attention to the tools and media used. This edition includes material that treats the many major documents and ancient Chinese artifacts uncovered over the forty years since the book’s first publication, as well as an afterword by Edward L. Shaughnessy.Written on Bamboo and Silk has long been considered a landmark in its field. Critical in this regard is the excavation of numerous sites throughout China, where hundreds of thousands of documents written on bamboo and silk—as well as other media—were found, including some of the earliest copies of historical, medical, astronomical, military, and religious texts that are now essential to the study of early Chinese literature, history, and philosophy. Discoveries such as these have made the amount of material evidence on the origins and evolution of communication throughout Chinese history exceedingly broad and rich, and yet Tsien succeeds in tackling it all and building on the earlier classic work that changed "In this paleographic study of China, Tsuen-Hsuin Tsien traces the development of Chinese writing from the earliest inscriptions to the advent of printing, with specific attention to the tools and media used. Now expanded and updated, this edition includes material that treats the many major documents and ancient Chinese artifacts uncovered in the over forty years since the book's first publication. Edward L. Shaughnessy's substantial new afterword completes this long-awaited second edition."--BOOK JACKET. PREFACE 7 CONTENTS 11 ILLUSTRATIONS 13 I. INTRODUCTION 17 II. RECORDS ON BONES AND SHELLS 35 III. INSCRIPTIONS ON METALS AND CLAY 54 IV. ENGRAVINGS ON STONE AND JADE 80 V DOCUMENTS OF BAMBOO AND WOOD 106 VI SILK AS WRITING MATERIAL 130 VII QUASI-PAPER AND PAPER MANUSCRIPTS 147 VIII TOOLS AND VEHICLES OF WRITING 174 IX CONCLUSION 195 GLOSSARY 204 BIBLIOGRAPHY 209 INDEX 231 Records on bones and shells Inscriptions on metals and clay Engravings on stone and jade Documents on bamboo and wood Silk as writing material Paper and paper manuscripts Implements and tools for writing.