In the Qin and Han dynasties, document templates, called shi, existed for officials to learn from or reference. Of the templates on display here, no. 214.144 states, “□□ ru pin shi”—an example of the practice. These early templates are analogous to present-day pre-drafted documents which could be copied and customized by needs. Within Han wooden slips excavated from Edsen-gol and Dunhuang, one can note the use of the characters mou 某 and ruogan 若干 as well as jia 甲, yi 乙, bing 丙, ding 丁, and so forth as indefinite placeholders to indicate unspecified individuals or numbers.
Nos. 214.144, 18.15, 38.2, 49.26, 61.2, 188.5, 509.19, 560.24
- Period
- Han dynasty (206 B.C.–220 A.D.)
- Excavated/Findspot
- A8 Mu-durbeljin, A33 Ulan-durbeljin, A35 Taralingin-durbeljin
- Materials
- Wood
