Liye Qin Slips
Length: 23cm
Width: 1.5-5.0cm
Material: bamboo, wood
Recorded Time Span: The records on the slips span from the 25th year of Qin Shi Huang's reign to the 1st year of Qin Er Shi's reign.
Content Scope
These slips are official archives of Qianling County, Dongting Commandery under the Qin Dynasty. Their contents cover a wide range of fields including politics, military, ethnic groups, economy, law, culture, postal delivery and geography. The documents take diverse forms, including official communications, imperial decrees, assessment records, household registers, vouchers, document labels, calendars, multiplication tables, medical prescriptions, mileage records, and slips used for calligraphy practice.
Historical Significance
As a major archaeological discovery of the Qin Dynasty, the Liye Qin Slips are regarded as an encyclopedia of the Qin Dynasty. They provide a full-scale authentic record for the study of Qin Dynasty history, fill the gaps in existing historical documents, transform the landscape of Qin history research, and offer valuable historical materials for studying the calendar, production and social life of the Qin Dynasty. In addition, the world's earliest and most complete physical multiplication table, postal service records and the unique calligraphy style preserved on the slips also carry high cultural and artistic value.