Calligraphy Writing Medium Before the Qin Dynasty 先秦书写载体

Paper existed in China since the 2nd century BC, before the Qin dynasty. Before the use of paper, Chinese texts were carved on tortoise shells, animal bones, bronze wares, jade or stones. Silk was also used by the small class of aristocrats, while bamboo and wood slips by the general public.

The oracle-bone inscriptions were found on tortoise shells and animal bones. They were used in the Shang Dynasty 1600 BC by the priests of the court to communicate with the spirits of the dead, mainly the ancestors of the rulers. Whenever there was a question to be asked, the priests would inscribe it on a shell or animal bone and then have it heated by fire. The shell or bone would become cracked after being heated. The priest would read the signs showing on these cracks. The prediction was then inscribed on the same shell or bone for record and future reference. The word ‘predict’ in Chinese is bu (卜), which looks like a crack.

The inscriptions on bronze were mainly records in commemoration of certain ceremonies in the court or glories of the battle. The inscriptions on stone-drum were records of hunting activities of the Qin kings.

The books made of bamboo and wood slips varied in size, and the longer in length the more important events were recorded. There were said to have appeared in the Shang Dynasty.

The longer bamboo slips were used to record state laws or important historical events. The shorter bamboo slips were used for text books, while the shortest bamboo slips were used to record biographies.

The wood slips were used only for events of minor importance such as official documents, notices, accounts or inventories, correspondence, etc. The most common sizes in wide used were one Chinese foot slips and the five inch slips. One foot slips were used for writing letters and five inch slips were used as certificates or identities issued by the army authorities or local governments to their soldiers or citizens for passing through the city wall gates and other check-points.

From the times of the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods, silk had also been used as a writing material. Dating from the Han Dynasty, there were known texts found on silk cover military strategy, mathematics, cartography and the six classical arts of ritual, music, archery, horsemanship, writing and arithmetic.
.

.

在公元前二世纪，秦朝之前，纸就已经出现了。在纸还没有发明之前，中国文字是刻在龟壳、兽骨、铜器、玉器或石头上面。缣帛为少数的贵族所用，而一般百姓则用竹与木简。

甲骨文用的是龟壳与兽骨。在公元前1600年商朝，巫师用甲骨文来与死去的灵魂沟通，这些死者多数为统治者的先人。每当有问题要问时，巫师就把问题刻在壳或骨上，然后以火来在壳或骨上加热。壳或骨被加热后，就会出现裂痕。巫师根据裂痕来占卜。占卜的结果也可在同一个壳或骨上以为记录，或以供后来参考。中文‘卜’看来就像裂痕。

铸在铜器的金文主要是记录朝廷重要仪式或战争的胜利。石鼓文则记录战国秦王游猎之类事情。

以竹简或木简所书写的书经的长度不一，长度越长，所记录的事件越重要。这些竹简或木简据说商朝就已出现。

最长的竹简用来纪录国家律法或重要历史事件。较短的用来书写经典，最短的书写子书。

木简则用来记录次要的国家文件、通告、帐簿、存货、来往书信，等等。木简最常见的有一尺或五寸。一尺木简所用来写书信，就是所谓的‘尺牍’。五寸木简多数有军队或地方政府用来当证书或通行证，给予士兵或百姓通关或检查站之用。

在春秋战国时期，缣帛就已经被用来当作书写用品了。今日所知，汉朝就有不少军事策略、数学、地图、六艺（礼、乐、射、御、书、数）之类是写在缣帛的。