Tracing the Origin and Development of the Black Ink Marks Daubed onto the Upper Edges of Bamboo Slips in Warring States, Qin, and Han Manuscripts: With the Term jiang 江 from Slip 118 of Vol. 5 of the Yuelu Qin Slips Serving as a Guide

Abstract The phrase “make wet its upper part” ( jiang qi shang 江其上 ), which appears in the protocol inscribed on slip nos. 117–118 of Accessory Ordinance C no . 4 卒令丙四 vol. 5 Yuelu shuyuan cang Qin jian 岳麓書院藏秦簡 (“Qin Slips Housed at Academy”) as an instruction for marking document label slips, should be read “[inscribe] a plank-mark onto gang 杠其上 ). This instructs clerks to mark slips by inscribing horizontal “plank” heng 橫杠 ) part rectangular fang 方 marks that were produced this clerical custom are visually conspicuous markers modern scholars describe “blackened bamboo tops” shou tu hei 簡首塗黑 frequently appear caches early Chinese textual materials. However, rather than using tops,” it would more precise refer these “horizontal oblong black ink marks” mo 墨橫 or “black plank 墨杠