What are these treatises about?

The documents were obtained by the university in 2008. Some tablets have been decrypted before. Bamboo plates date back to the Warring States period, from the 5th century BC to 221 BC. Other early versions of these five documents are unknown.

Two reviews brought together are of particular interest. Their names roughly translate as: “Food rituals for officials”. They describe a certain etiquette during a banquet and are intended to describe the receptions of higher ranks who served in the kingdoms into which the future Chinese territory was divided. These documents provide special rules of conduct for both the officer himself and his family and guests. Rituals reflect well-known treatises of recent times.

The university noted that This is the first finding in the Warring States Bamboo Book of ritual books of the period before the founding of the Qin Empire in 221 BC.. It not only reproduces the original appearance of the ritual books, but also reflects some features of Chu food rituals, an ancient Taoist practice related to food.

Two more documents contain important information for the study of the theoretical musical system in China in the pre-Qin period.

• Firstly “Diagram of five sounds”It is based on the Taoist philosophy of the five elements. Accordingly, the scheme is based on a five-pointed star and the five-tone generation rule is explained through this star. This practice is also known from later Chinese ritual books.
• At the beginning of the treatise “Music style” The name of the tones is written, but scientists have not yet understood its essence.

Remains of the Bamboo book “Diagram of Five Voices” / Tsinghua University