Historical records and archaeological remains indicate that the Chinese agricultural economy changed significantly from the Warring States （475-221 BC） to Han Dynasties （206 BC-220 AD）, i.e., from rice-millet base...Historical records and archaeological remains indicate that the Chinese agricultural economy changed significantly from the Warring States （475-221 BC） to Han Dynasties （206 BC-220 AD）, i.e., from rice-millet based agriculture to rice-millet-wheat based agriculture. However, the variation of human diets and the inner relationship between human diets and the agricultural transition during this period remain poorly understood. In this paper, the C and N stable isotopes from human and animal bones at the Shenmingpu site （SMPS）, Xichuan County, Henan Province were analyzed. If some outliers （M34, M36, M102） were excluded, the mean δ13C value （（-16.7±0.8）‰, n=15） of humans in Hart Dynasties was dramatically lower than that in the Warring States （（-12.7±0.8）‰, n=14）, indicating that the cultivation of rice and wheat, especially wheat, had been more widely popularized in Han Dynasties. Meanwhile, the range of 615N values of humans （6.6‰-9.3‰） in Hart Dynasties was narrower than that of the Warring States （6.2‰-10.4‰）, suggesting that the animal protein resources in human foods during Han Dynasties were more concentrated. The transition of human diets and the close relationship with the change of agricultural economy in SMPS were due to more stable society, the carryout of new agricultural policies, and the emergence of new agri- cultural tools in Han Dynasties.展开更多
A total of 1362 archaeological sites from the Paleolithic Age to the Warring States time in Hubei Province increase gradually from west to east and from high land to low land.The number of Paleolithic sites with altit...A total of 1362 archaeological sites from the Paleolithic Age to the Warring States time in Hubei Province increase gradually from west to east and from high land to low land.The number of Paleolithic sites with altitude of 50-500 m account for 78% of the whole,while 71%-95% of sites from the Neolithic Age to the Warring States time mainly distribute at the areas of 0-200 m.The temporal-spatial distribution of archeological sites in this area is affected by two factors.For one thing,the human beings of every period need to choose the first or the second terrace as living sites which are near water source and are easy to withstand flood.Additionally,affecting by the regional tectonic uplift since the Holocene,down cutting of rivers can form new river valley,and lateral erosion and accumulation of river in stable time of tectonic movement can result in increasing of many new terraces.So,the human beings migrated to adapt to the change of terrace location,leading to the sites increase gradually in the lower areas of the central and eastern parts of this province.For other things,the temporal-spatial distribution of archeological sites in this area is affected by the climate condition.The Paleolithic sites mostly distribute in the Hanshui River Valley in northeastern Shiyan,southeast of Jinzhou and east of Jinmen,which is because rivers distributed in higher areas in this period.During the Chengbeixi Culture period,the sites are rare in the quondam Paleolithic sites distribution area,but increase obviously along the Yangtze River near the southwest Yichang.The spore-pollen record of Dajiuhu Basin indicates that only 23 Chengbeixi cultural sites may be related to more precipitation and flood during the Holocene wet and hot period.The Daxi Culture,Qujialing Culture and Shijiahe Culture are corresponding to middle and top of the Dajiuhu spore-pollen Zone Ⅳ,during which the climate is in order as a whole and is propitious to agricultural development.In the Qujialing Culture period,32 of original 34 Daxi cultural sites 展开更多
Northern Anhui was an important region for diverse bronze culture convergence and extensive metal resource circulation in the Pre-Qin Period.In this paper,metallographic microstructure analysis,chemical composition an...Northern Anhui was an important region for diverse bronze culture convergence and extensive metal resource circulation in the Pre-Qin Period.In this paper,metallographic microstructure analysis,chemical composition analysis,and lead isotope ratio analysis were conducted on 12 samples of 6 Warring States Period(476–221 BCE)bronze vessels excavated from Chutai Cemetery M1,Fuyang,Anhui Province,revealing the integrated application of diversified manufacturing processes,such as casting,forging,cold working,and welding and multiple metal minerals.The analytical results showed that 2 Ding vessels(鼎)were made by casting,and 2 He vessels(盒)and 2 Dui vessels(敦)were made by forging followed by cold working.These two types of bronze vessels made by different manufacturing processes have significantly distinct alloy ratios and mineral sources,among which the Cu and Sn contents of the 2 cast bronze vessels are lower and the Pb content is higher,while the Cu and Sn contents of the 4 forged bronze vessels are higher and the Pb content is lower.The lead minerals of the two types of bronze vessels might come from Western Henan and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River,respectively.In addition,the 3 pieces of solder used to weld bronze vessels were all made of pure Sn,their metal minerals should come from the densely distributed area of tin ore in Southern China,and Sn solders were mainly discovered in the Chu culture area during the Eastern Zhou Period.展开更多
Earthquake archaeological research was conducted in recent years at four archaeological excavation sites in Shandong,focusing on the identification and analysis of the tectonic deformation phenomena. The non-tectonic ...Earthquake archaeological research was conducted in recent years at four archaeological excavation sites in Shandong,focusing on the identification and analysis of the tectonic deformation phenomena. The non-tectonic deformation phenomena were distinguished at the site of the Shang Dynasty ruins at Daxinzhuang in the Jinan suburbs. In Longshan,sand vein-filled cracks were recognized in the cultural layers of the Chengziya site,Zhangqiu City. Sand veins on the trench wall and sand tubes at the trench bottom were found densely distributed at the Shang and Zhou Dynasty cultural layers,at Qinhuangtai site,Binzhou City. The tectonic and non-tectonic origin cracks were identified on the city wall of the Site of Capital of State Qi,Linzi City. In Rizhao city,parallel distributed sand vein fracture groups were found in the cultural layer of Longshan-Warring States-Han Dynasty at Yaowangcheng site. Typical conjugate shear fractures were identified on the city wall of the ancient city of the State of Xue, Tengzhou City. The above natural deformation phenomena are concentrated in the culture layers of the Spring and AutumnWarring States-Han Dynasties and before, and characterized by seismic sand-soil liquefaction traces,which indicate that these regions might have been in the seismic active episodes in the corresponding periods. The above inference has been confirmed by microscopic data analysis.展开更多
The typical morphology of alloy lead（Pb） in ancient bronzes made in the Spring-Autumn Warring States Period（770 B.C.-221 B.C.）,China,was examined by using electron microscopic techniques.We propose that the main p...The typical morphology of alloy lead（Pb） in ancient bronzes made in the Spring-Autumn Warring States Period（770 B.C.-221 B.C.）,China,was examined by using electron microscopic techniques.We propose that the main purposes for adding metallic Pb in a large quantity into ancient bronzes,such as arrows and ritual vessel-Ding,were for increasing weight and economical reasons.In order to promote adding efficiency and improve casting quality for getting homogenously distributed Pb particles in the bronzes,a process through inserting Pb rod into the mold is supposed to be used during casting,which provided a process for preventing Pb sinkage.Scanning electron microscope（SEM） observations from the fracture surface of the bronzes revealed that the Pb particle possessed a ＂hollow-cored bubble＂ structure,which was formed due to absorbing casting gases during solidification and therefore indirectly eliminated the casting porosity and loosen.展开更多
Seven pieces of silk braids excavated from Chu Tomb No.1 at M ashan in Jiangling are thoughtto belong to the knitting fabric.Their structures are double-stitched type,with a lining silk on theback side to fix the knit...Seven pieces of silk braids excavated from Chu Tomb No.1 at M ashan in Jiangling are thoughtto belong to the knitting fabric.Their structures are double-stitched type,with a lining silk on theback side to fix the knitted threads;besides the traverse linking structure,there are alsomulti-structures by single jersey combined with traverse linking,the excavators declared.The au-thor of this paper believes that those cords can be classified as some intermediary between theknitwear and the needlework.They have the structure similar to certain kinds of knitting,crochetand embroidery,and can be duplicated through two different methods.The differences and similar-ities between these cords and the traditional hand-knitting or embroidery,as well as their originsare discussed.Photographs of the relic and the duplication are presented.展开更多
1. Introduction The bronze swords were somewhat important in ancient China. Its alloy constituent analysishas been carried out by some scientist with modern technique. Afterwards, a series of work havebeen published.... 1. Introduction The bronze swords were somewhat important in ancient China. Its alloy constituent analysishas been carried out by some scientist with modern technique. Afterwards, a series of work havebeen published. The main results are: (1) the sword materials are Pb-Sn-bearing bronze with tincontent at 15～19%; (2) it is cast alloy mainly; (3) the rhombus pattern on the sword of Yue King展开更多
In September-December 2002, the Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology excavated the Nos. 1 and 2 Chu State tombs and the horse-and-chariot burial pits auxiliary to them in the Jiuliandun cemete...In September-December 2002, the Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology excavated the Nos. 1 and 2 Chu State tombs and the horse-and-chariot burial pits auxiliary to them in the Jiuliandun cemetery of Wudian Town in Zaoyang City, Hubei Province. The two graves are large in size, rectangular in plan, with ramping tomb-passages and, on each wall, 14 steps. Either of them contains a double outer and a double inner coffins, the former being partitioned into five cabinets. The funeral objects are very rich, numbering 617 pieces/sets for Tomb No.1 and 587 pieces/sets for Tomb No.2, and more than 1,000 bamboo slips were unearthed from the second grave. Two horse-and-chariot burial pits were discovered on the western side of the tombs. Their contents consist of 33 chariots and 72 horses in Pit 1 and 7 and 16 respectively in Pit 2. The discovery will greatly push forward the study of the Chu culture.展开更多
The Zihedian cemetery is situated to the south of Zihedian village in Qiling town of Linzi district, Zibo city. In 1990, excavation was carried out in its northeast, where four large-sized tombs were found to be of th...The Zihedian cemetery is situated to the south of Zihedian village in Qiling town of Linzi district, Zibo city. In 1990, excavation was carried out in its northeast, where four large-sized tombs were found to be of the Warring States period. One of them Tomb No.2 is shaped like the character “甲” in plan, with the tomb-passage pointing to the south. The tomb pit consists of a surfaceand an underground parts; and the coffin chamber is located somewhat to the south of the center of the pit, and contains an outer and double inner coffins. At the back of the chamber is a rectangular sacrificial pit with 12 human victims. More that 20 single-shaft chariots were yielded from the tomb pit, behindwhich is a large horse burial pit. Among the rich funeral objects, the pottery comprises the ding tripod,gui food container, pot, dou stemmed vessel and its cover, dul round vessel, li tripod, lei pot, zhousaucer, pan basin, yi ewer, jian basin, jin table-shaped stand, ladle, spade and tomb figurine; thebronzes include the chime-bells, ge dagger axe, spear, shu battle mallet, halberd, sword and arrowhead;and the stone implements are represented by the chime stone. The tomb shape and the features of thegrave goods show that the burial goes back to the early Warring States period, and the tomb-owner must have been an influencial figure in the rank of high minister and noble (卿大夫).展开更多
对化学成分体系的确定是中国古代玻璃研究中很重要的一个方面,为此,用外束质子激发X荧光技术(PIXE)、电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱分析(ICP AES)等方法,对新疆、湖北、河南和重庆等地区出土的一批战国时期的玻璃珠(包含镶嵌玻璃珠)、...对化学成分体系的确定是中国古代玻璃研究中很重要的一个方面,为此,用外束质子激发X荧光技术(PIXE)、电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱分析(ICP AES)等方法,对新疆、湖北、河南和重庆等地区出土的一批战国时期的玻璃珠(包含镶嵌玻璃珠)、玻璃璧样品进行了检测。结果表明,战国时期中国境内同时存在PbO BaOSiO2、K2O SiO2、Na2O CaO SiO2三种硅酸盐玻璃,分布的地域范围从中国的新疆东部一直到长江、黄河流域,以及南方的四川、贵州等地区。中国古代的PbO BaO SiO2和K2O SiO2玻璃在技术发展上应该具有密切联系。结合文献资料对这些玻璃的产地等相关问题进行了简要讨论。展开更多
Based on systematically-collected data related to the character “yan 盐” in the writing of the Warring States period, the present paper makes the paleographic argument that the character“ ”in the inscriptions of C...Based on systematically-collected data related to the character “yan 盐” in the writing of the Warring States period, the present paper makes the paleographic argument that the character“ ”in the inscriptions of Chu State slips from Baoshan is just “盐”. This is a character with associative compounds. It is made up of “lu卤” and “min 皿”, meaning making salt by boiling salty water. The exact identification of this character will much contribute to the understanding of the characters for “salt” in other writings of ancient China. The seal “ Xi (Xi) Yan Zhi Xi (徙)盐之玺”, i.e. “Seal of Salt Circulation”, was an official seal used in the course of salt circulation for the purpose to ensure regular salt trade and effective taxation and to avoid the repetition of tax levy.展开更多
基金supported by grants from CAS Knowledge Innovation Directional Project (Grant No.KZCX2-YW-Q1-04)CAS Strategic Priority Research Program (Grant Nos.XDA05130303, XDA05130501)+2 种基金Chinese Academy of Sciences & Max-Planck Institute Partnership Group Project (Grant No.KACX1-YW-0830)National Science and Technology Ministry (Grant No.2010BAK67B03)Relic Preservation Project of South-to-North Water Diversion
文摘Historical records and archaeological remains indicate that the Chinese agricultural economy changed significantly from the Warring States （475-221 BC） to Han Dynasties （206 BC-220 AD）, i.e., from rice-millet based agriculture to rice-millet-wheat based agriculture. However, the variation of human diets and the inner relationship between human diets and the agricultural transition during this period remain poorly understood. In this paper, the C and N stable isotopes from human and animal bones at the Shenmingpu site （SMPS）, Xichuan County, Henan Province were analyzed. If some outliers （M34, M36, M102） were excluded, the mean δ13C value （（-16.7±0.8）‰, n=15） of humans in Hart Dynasties was dramatically lower than that in the Warring States （（-12.7±0.8）‰, n=14）, indicating that the cultivation of rice and wheat, especially wheat, had been more widely popularized in Han Dynasties. Meanwhile, the range of 615N values of humans （6.6‰-9.3‰） in Hart Dynasties was narrower than that of the Warring States （6.2‰-10.4‰）, suggesting that the animal protein resources in human foods during Han Dynasties were more concentrated. The transition of human diets and the close relationship with the change of agricultural economy in SMPS were due to more stable society, the carryout of new agricultural policies, and the emergence of new agri- cultural tools in Han Dynasties.
基金National Natural Science Foundation of China, No.40971115 University Doctoral Foundation, No.20090091110036+3 种基金 Open Foundation of the State Key Laboratory of Loess and Quaternary Geology from the Institute of Earth Environment, CAS, No.SKLLQG0817 Test Foundation of Modem Analyses Center of Nanjing University, No.0209001309 Foundation of the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People＇s Republic of China, No.2010BAK67B02 Scientific Research Foundation of Graduate School of Nanjing University, No.2011CL 11 Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Prof. Wang Hongxing, Prof. Meng Huaping, Prof. Zheng Chaogui and Mr. Liu Hui for their comments in the process of sorting out materials and preparing this manuscript.
文摘A total of 1362 archaeological sites from the Paleolithic Age to the Warring States time in Hubei Province increase gradually from west to east and from high land to low land.The number of Paleolithic sites with altitude of 50-500 m account for 78% of the whole,while 71%-95% of sites from the Neolithic Age to the Warring States time mainly distribute at the areas of 0-200 m.The temporal-spatial distribution of archeological sites in this area is affected by two factors.For one thing,the human beings of every period need to choose the first or the second terrace as living sites which are near water source and are easy to withstand flood.Additionally,affecting by the regional tectonic uplift since the Holocene,down cutting of rivers can form new river valley,and lateral erosion and accumulation of river in stable time of tectonic movement can result in increasing of many new terraces.So,the human beings migrated to adapt to the change of terrace location,leading to the sites increase gradually in the lower areas of the central and eastern parts of this province.For other things,the temporal-spatial distribution of archeological sites in this area is affected by the climate condition.The Paleolithic sites mostly distribute in the Hanshui River Valley in northeastern Shiyan,southeast of Jinzhou and east of Jinmen,which is because rivers distributed in higher areas in this period.During the Chengbeixi Culture period,the sites are rare in the quondam Paleolithic sites distribution area,but increase obviously along the Yangtze River near the southwest Yichang.The spore-pollen record of Dajiuhu Basin indicates that only 23 Chengbeixi cultural sites may be related to more precipitation and flood during the Holocene wet and hot period.The Daxi Culture,Qujialing Culture and Shijiahe Culture are corresponding to middle and top of the Dajiuhu spore-pollen Zone Ⅳ,during which the climate is in order as a whole and is propitious to agricultural development.In the Qujialing Culture period,32 of original 34 Daxi cultural sites
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.41303080)the Youth Promotion Association of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.2018499)the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2022YFF0903700)。
文摘Northern Anhui was an important region for diverse bronze culture convergence and extensive metal resource circulation in the Pre-Qin Period.In this paper,metallographic microstructure analysis,chemical composition analysis,and lead isotope ratio analysis were conducted on 12 samples of 6 Warring States Period(476–221 BCE)bronze vessels excavated from Chutai Cemetery M1,Fuyang,Anhui Province,revealing the integrated application of diversified manufacturing processes,such as casting,forging,cold working,and welding and multiple metal minerals.The analytical results showed that 2 Ding vessels(鼎)were made by casting,and 2 He vessels(盒)and 2 Dui vessels(敦)were made by forging followed by cold working.These two types of bronze vessels made by different manufacturing processes have significantly distinct alloy ratios and mineral sources,among which the Cu and Sn contents of the 2 cast bronze vessels are lower and the Pb content is higher,while the Cu and Sn contents of the 4 forged bronze vessels are higher and the Pb content is lower.The lead minerals of the two types of bronze vessels might come from Western Henan and the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River,respectively.In addition,the 3 pieces of solder used to weld bronze vessels were all made of pure Sn,their metal minerals should come from the densely distributed area of tin ore in Southern China,and Sn solders were mainly discovered in the Chu culture area during the Eastern Zhou Period.
基金supported by the Anhui Public Welfare Geological Project(No.2015-g-25)the Special Research Project of CEA(No.TYZ20160101)
文摘Earthquake archaeological research was conducted in recent years at four archaeological excavation sites in Shandong,focusing on the identification and analysis of the tectonic deformation phenomena. The non-tectonic deformation phenomena were distinguished at the site of the Shang Dynasty ruins at Daxinzhuang in the Jinan suburbs. In Longshan,sand vein-filled cracks were recognized in the cultural layers of the Chengziya site,Zhangqiu City. Sand veins on the trench wall and sand tubes at the trench bottom were found densely distributed at the Shang and Zhou Dynasty cultural layers,at Qinhuangtai site,Binzhou City. The tectonic and non-tectonic origin cracks were identified on the city wall of the Site of Capital of State Qi,Linzi City. In Rizhao city,parallel distributed sand vein fracture groups were found in the cultural layer of Longshan-Warring States-Han Dynasty at Yaowangcheng site. Typical conjugate shear fractures were identified on the city wall of the ancient city of the State of Xue, Tengzhou City. The above natural deformation phenomena are concentrated in the culture layers of the Spring and AutumnWarring States-Han Dynasties and before, and characterized by seismic sand-soil liquefaction traces,which indicate that these regions might have been in the seismic active episodes in the corresponding periods. The above inference has been confirmed by microscopic data analysis.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(J1210061)
文摘The typical morphology of alloy lead（Pb） in ancient bronzes made in the Spring-Autumn Warring States Period（770 B.C.-221 B.C.）,China,was examined by using electron microscopic techniques.We propose that the main purposes for adding metallic Pb in a large quantity into ancient bronzes,such as arrows and ritual vessel-Ding,were for increasing weight and economical reasons.In order to promote adding efficiency and improve casting quality for getting homogenously distributed Pb particles in the bronzes,a process through inserting Pb rod into the mold is supposed to be used during casting,which provided a process for preventing Pb sinkage.Scanning electron microscope（SEM） observations from the fracture surface of the bronzes revealed that the Pb particle possessed a ＂hollow-cored bubble＂ structure,which was formed due to absorbing casting gases during solidification and therefore indirectly eliminated the casting porosity and loosen.
文摘Seven pieces of silk braids excavated from Chu Tomb No.1 at M ashan in Jiangling are thoughtto belong to the knitting fabric.Their structures are double-stitched type,with a lining silk on theback side to fix the knitted threads;besides the traverse linking structure,there are alsomulti-structures by single jersey combined with traverse linking,the excavators declared.The au-thor of this paper believes that those cords can be classified as some intermediary between theknitwear and the needlework.They have the structure similar to certain kinds of knitting,crochetand embroidery,and can be duplicated through two different methods.The differences and similar-ities between these cords and the traditional hand-knitting or embroidery,as well as their originsare discussed.Photographs of the relic and the duplication are presented.
文摘 1. Introduction The bronze swords were somewhat important in ancient China. Its alloy constituent analysishas been carried out by some scientist with modern technique. Afterwards, a series of work havebeen published. The main results are: (1) the sword materials are Pb-Sn-bearing bronze with tincontent at 15～19%; (2) it is cast alloy mainly; (3) the rhombus pattern on the sword of Yue King
文摘In September-December 2002, the Hubei Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology excavated the Nos. 1 and 2 Chu State tombs and the horse-and-chariot burial pits auxiliary to them in the Jiuliandun cemetery of Wudian Town in Zaoyang City, Hubei Province. The two graves are large in size, rectangular in plan, with ramping tomb-passages and, on each wall, 14 steps. Either of them contains a double outer and a double inner coffins, the former being partitioned into five cabinets. The funeral objects are very rich, numbering 617 pieces/sets for Tomb No.1 and 587 pieces/sets for Tomb No.2, and more than 1,000 bamboo slips were unearthed from the second grave. Two horse-and-chariot burial pits were discovered on the western side of the tombs. Their contents consist of 33 chariots and 72 horses in Pit 1 and 7 and 16 respectively in Pit 2. The discovery will greatly push forward the study of the Chu culture.
文摘The Zihedian cemetery is situated to the south of Zihedian village in Qiling town of Linzi district, Zibo city. In 1990, excavation was carried out in its northeast, where four large-sized tombs were found to be of the Warring States period. One of them Tomb No.2 is shaped like the character “甲” in plan, with the tomb-passage pointing to the south. The tomb pit consists of a surfaceand an underground parts; and the coffin chamber is located somewhat to the south of the center of the pit, and contains an outer and double inner coffins. At the back of the chamber is a rectangular sacrificial pit with 12 human victims. More that 20 single-shaft chariots were yielded from the tomb pit, behindwhich is a large horse burial pit. Among the rich funeral objects, the pottery comprises the ding tripod,gui food container, pot, dou stemmed vessel and its cover, dul round vessel, li tripod, lei pot, zhousaucer, pan basin, yi ewer, jian basin, jin table-shaped stand, ladle, spade and tomb figurine; thebronzes include the chime-bells, ge dagger axe, spear, shu battle mallet, halberd, sword and arrowhead;and the stone implements are represented by the chime stone. The tomb shape and the features of thegrave goods show that the burial goes back to the early Warring States period, and the tomb-owner must have been an influencial figure in the rank of high minister and noble (卿大夫).
文摘对化学成分体系的确定是中国古代玻璃研究中很重要的一个方面,为此,用外束质子激发X荧光技术(PIXE)、电感耦合等离子体原子发射光谱分析(ICP AES)等方法,对新疆、湖北、河南和重庆等地区出土的一批战国时期的玻璃珠(包含镶嵌玻璃珠)、玻璃璧样品进行了检测。结果表明,战国时期中国境内同时存在PbO BaOSiO2、K2O SiO2、Na2O CaO SiO2三种硅酸盐玻璃,分布的地域范围从中国的新疆东部一直到长江、黄河流域,以及南方的四川、贵州等地区。中国古代的PbO BaO SiO2和K2O SiO2玻璃在技术发展上应该具有密切联系。结合文献资料对这些玻璃的产地等相关问题进行了简要讨论。
文摘Based on systematically-collected data related to the character “yan 盐” in the writing of the Warring States period, the present paper makes the paleographic argument that the character“ ”in the inscriptions of Chu State slips from Baoshan is just “盐”. This is a character with associative compounds. It is made up of “lu卤” and “min 皿”, meaning making salt by boiling salty water. The exact identification of this character will much contribute to the understanding of the characters for “salt” in other writings of ancient China. The seal “ Xi (Xi) Yan Zhi Xi (徙)盐之玺”, i.e. “Seal of Salt Circulation”, was an official seal used in the course of salt circulation for the purpose to ensure regular salt trade and effective taxation and to avoid the repetition of tax levy.
