Today (November 29), the latest research findings on the "Anhui University Collection of Warring States Period Bamboo Slips" were released at Anhui University. The Anhui University Collection of Warring States Period Bamboo Slips, also known as the "Anhui University Slips," is a batch of precious bamboo slips rescued from overseas by Anhui University in 2015. After cleaning and collation, a total of 1167 slips have been numbered, and their overall preservation condition is good, with many complete slips.
The bamboo slips vary in shape and length, ranging from approximately 21.3 cm to 48.5 cm, with a width of 0.4–0.8 cm. They were copied by different people, exhibiting diverse calligraphic styles, but the characters are clear. Expert authentication and dating of the bamboo slip samples have determined that these slips date from approximately 400 BC to 350 BC, belonging to the early to mid-Warring States period.
In September 2019 and August 2022, Anhui University released its research findings on the "Anhui University Bamboo Slips" twice. The third volume of the "Anhui University Bamboo Slips" released this time includes three documents: "Shan Er", "Ai Song", and "Shen Tu Di Jian Zhou Gong".
The text "Shan Er" consists of 28 bamboo slips, generally well-preserved with minor damage. Judging from the content and style of the text, it is likely a lost chapter of the "Chu Ci" (Songs of Chu). The text expresses the author's sense of loneliness and isolation, criticizes a society with its disordered order, and reveals his powerlessness in the face of harsh reality while upholding his moral principles. The language is simple and unadorned, employing contrast effectively, and conveying genuine emotion.
The "Lament" consists of 22 unnumbered bamboo slips and is also a lost piece from the *Chu Ci* (Songs of Chu). Its content expresses the mourning, remembrance, and complex emotions of the two consorts of the ancient emperor Shun after his death, which can be corroborated by related records in texts such as the *Book of Rites*, *Biographies of Exemplary Women*, and *Record of Diverse Things*. The text is beautifully written and possesses a high level of literary artistry. These two *Chu Ci* texts provide new evidence for the study of the formation and transmission of the *Chu Ci*.
The text "Shen Tu Di's Meeting with the Duke of Zhou" consists of 60 bamboo slips, each numbered on the back. These slips are divided into three groups, which can be linked together to form a complete bamboo book. The text records the dialogue between the Duke of Zhou and Shen Tu Di, reflecting the activities and ideologies of the itinerant scholar class during the Warring States period. It is a different copy of the same document as the dialogue between the Duke of Zhou and Shen Tu Di recorded in the Changtai Pass bamboo book in Xinyang. This text provides historical support for the spread of Mohist thought in the Chu region during the early and mid-Warring States period.
According to experts, the contents of the Anhui University bamboo slips include the Book of Songs, the sayings of Confucius and other Confucian works, the history of Chu, and the Chu Ci (Songs of Chu). The Warring States period bamboo slips in the Anhui University collection are another major discovery following the Guodian bamboo slips, the Shanghai Museum bamboo slips, and the Tsinghua bamboo slips, among other rare documents. Their academic value is immense, providing invaluable materials for the study of pre-Qin intellectual and literary history.
