A Study Of The Shape Of Characters On Bamboo Slips Of The Qin Dynasty From Longgang

In October 1989, in Yunmeng County of Xiaogan City, Hubei Province, the No. 6 tomb of Qin Dynasty from Longgang was discovered, in which there were 277 unearthed bamboo slips and one wooden slip, containing information mainly about laws on the things of forbidden court.Being based on the plates in the book of"Longgang Qin Jian", this paper studies bamboo slips of the Qin Dynasty from Longgang from the perspective of the change of character shapes, using character shapes of Oracle, Bronze inscriptions, "Shou Wen" small-seal style, the bamboo slips of the Qin Dynasty from Shuihudi, part of the bamboo slips of the Qin Dynasty from Liye and bamboo slips of Han Dynasty from Yinqueshan, as a reference.This paper is divided into three parts: First, the origin of the basic strokes of Chinese characters are analyzed and obtained through the diachronic contrast of character shapes; the general situation of the shape of characters on bamboo slips of the Qin Dynasty from Longgang is investigated from two aspects: the changes of parts and the immobilization and the transition of character shapes. Second, the changes and rules of character shapes in the course of using are analyzed from six aspects: simplification, complication, alienation, assimilation, mix, and different characters with similar shapes. Finally, the source of the shape of characters on bamboo slips of the Qin Dynasty from Longgang is studied from the perspective of the origins of Chinese characters, which confirms that the official script evolved from the large seal scrip; through the induction and summarization of the nature and causes of the changes of characters'shapes, it is found that shape changes do not change the ideographic nature of Chinese characters; there are also regional differences in the intensity of the popularization of the "unify characters" policy impacting the changes of character shapes.This paper presents the changes and development of Chinese characters in the early period of official script in the real situation diachronically and synchronically by analyzing through the description and comparison of the shapes of characters, which has a positive meaning on the understanding of the evolution of Chinese characters.