- Collection type
- Object
- Description
- Inscribed shavings and piece of wood marked T.vi.b, wrapped in various papers and stored in cloth bag.
- Cultural groups
- Chinese
- Person
- Field collector Marc Aurel Stein
- PRM source The Estate of Marc Aurel Stein
- PRM source Helen Mary Allen
- Date / Period
- Date made: 100 BC to AD 300 Archaeological period: Han Dynasty
- Date collected
- By 1944
- Acquisition information
- Donated: 1944
- Materials and processes
- Material Wood Plant, Process Inscribed
- Dimensions
- Length: max 175 mm bundle, approx
- Object numbers
- Accession number: 1944.5.6
- Research and responses
Dr Susan Whifield of the British Library, who is working on a project to digitise such objects, advised on 3 December 2009 that "They come from the Chinese Han period defensive walls and forts which run north of the town of Dunhuang (1st c. BC - 3rd c AD) - 'T' is short for Dunhuang in the old romanisation (Tunhuang). Vi.b indicates which part of the wall they came from - we can identify this as Stein drew plans. If you go to the idp home page (http://idp.bl.uk) and put T.vi.b in the database search box in the left hand menu it brings up 10 items from the same find place - some textiles now at the V&A and some woodslips in the BL. Some of the other woodslips from the walls are dated to the 1st c. BC. They are in Chinese and consist of various texts." [AS 03/12/2009]
One letter in the PRM manuscripts collection (Penniman Papers) from Stein which might explain his connection to the PRM. It is written to the curator of the time, Mr Penniman, dated June 6 1937: "22 Manor Place, Oxford. Dear Mr Penniman, I remember with pleasure our meeting at Kish in January 1929 and am glad to know you are now looking after anthropology here. It would have been a satisfaction to me to be of some little help to your future pupil as regard to his proposed visit to Lazistan. But I have never been anywhere near that tract(?) on the Black Sea and not knowing in what direction his interests lie I do not think that I could give any useful hints within the very limited time just now at my disposal, anyhow by writing. I have returned from a long journey in Iran and am about to seek some needful rest in the Cotswolds. But later on I hope for a chance of seeing you again. Yours sincerely, A. Stein. " [AS 10/12/2009]
Search terms: Writing, Specimen, Plant, Inscription