More than 10 thousand bamboo plates were discovered by researchers during excavations at the Hebosuo archaeological site in the Chinese province of Yunnan. Excavations have been ongoing here since 2021, and all artifacts discovered date back to the Han Empire (202 BC - 220 AD). More than 800 of these plates contain seal impressions. Judging by the letters, scientists stumbled upon an archive with administrative records.
Some bamboo plates contain the names of the counties that were part of Yizhou Prefecture. On others, you can see the seal impressions of 20 districts of the kingdom of Dian (Dian), conquered by Emperor Wu in 109 BC. e. Some of the characters indicate positions such as "county judge" and "minister of administration". The information obtained will allow us to study the system of control over the areas that gradually joined the Han Empire.
During the Han era, China experienced a cultural flourishing. However, despite the development of philosophical and religious movements, Emperor Wu made Confucianism the unified state ideology. Trade links were maintained between the Han and the Roman Empire for some time. After the collapse of the state in 220, the era of the Three Kingdoms began.
