The Study in Japan of Chinese Excavated Materials
Since the 1970s many written materials including various classics lost over two thousand years ago, have been excavated in China, and they have forced us to re-evaluate traditional Chinese written documents and academic studies. In Japan studies of and interests in these subjects have been very active. The use of these excavated materials has become a common practice in the study of ancient China. Lagging behind, European scholars have not yet familiarized themselves with these materials.By Paulos Huang
Many important ancient Chinese books were lost with the passing of the generations and owing to the lack of knowledge of these classics, many disputes concerning Chinese ancient history have waged, and many such arguments have proved insoluble, since scholars can only adduce their own hypotheses rather than rely on any historical evidence.Since the 1970s, the situation has changed. Many archaeological finds in China have contributed a wealth of knowledge to ancient Chinese history. These written material finds include the following different types: 1) manuscripts which were not known before; 2) manuscripts which were listed by Sima Qian or Ban Gu in Han Dynasty, but of which the contents have always remained a mystery; 3) manuscripts which have survived partially as quotations in other works, but these fragments have been treated charily as false for centuries, since they are quoted only by later works; and 4) various previously unknown records of the life, rituals and customs of ancient China. Using these new discoveries as references, some of the old arguments can now be resolved, and the time has come for many of the old opinions to be re-evaluated. The newly excavated materials have forced us to take a new look at the traditional studies which have dominated the Chinese classics for over two thousand years. Some scholars even argue that the whole section of Chinese academic history dealing with the classics has to be rewritten. Recent Japanese research on Chinese excavated materials is dicussed briefly below.
Seminars
For the past ten years the various seminars held in Japan indicate the interest of Japanese scholars in the excavated materials from China, for example, Ikeda Tomohisa: Mawangdui Wuxing, Jingfa and Zhouyi Silk Manuscripts at Nimatsu gakusha and Tokyo Universities; Kudou Motoo: Shuihudi Qin and Baoshan Chu slips at Waseda University; Ikeda: Zhangjiashan Han slips at Chuuoo University; Ooda Yukio: Shuhudi Qin slips of Calculations of dates at Tokyo Gakugei University; and Hirase: Zhongshan King Inscription in Istitute of Oriental Culture at the University of Tokyo. These seminars have produced many publications on the related topics and have helped the training of many young scholars.
Society
The Society for Chinese Excavated Materials (of which the original name was Chuugoku Shusyutsu todo shiryou kennkyuukai, changed to the present name in 1998) was formed in Tokyo in April 1995. Scholars of Chinese excavated materials studies from all over Japan have been brought together through this organization, and the subjects which members are studying cover philosophy, history, literature, ancient Chinese characters, astronomy, medicine, folk custom, etc. The society also has a fair few of foreign members. At present, it has over two hundred members. The first president of the society was Professor Ikeda Tomohisa, and the second (and present) president is Associate Professor Kudou Motoo of Waseda University.
The activities of the Society for Chinese Excavated Materials include holding conferences and special seminars, publishing a newsletter (three time a year) and the Journal of Studies on Chinese Excavated Materials (Volumes one and two have been published, volume three is now being edited).
Each year three conferences are held. The presentations in 1998 included 1) Professor Tanaka Yuu: The calligraphy of Han slip manuscripts. 2) Matsuki Kika: 'Mai and Jingluo'. 3) Kudou Motoo Ozawa Masato, Iwamoto Metsushi: the computer database project on the Baoshan Chu bamboo slip manuscripts operated at Waseda University. 4) Paulos Huang: 'European Sinology and the Chinese Excavated Materials Studies in Europe'. And he has introduced his researches on the Laozi, Yuzi, Wangshan Chu bamboo slip manuscripts, and the Guodian Laozi. 5) Kondou Hiroyuki: the formation history of the Zhouyi based on the excavated materials. 6) Yoshikai Masato: 'From Seals to see the South Yue World'.
Dr Paulos Huang is attached to the Institute of Oriental Culture University of Tokyo. He can be reached at e-mail: pzhuang@ioc.u-tokyo.ac.jp.