A 2021 excavation at Dabuzi near Xi'an found a bronze mirror wrapped in a yellow-green fiber sheet inside an early Western Han tomb (M68). A 2025 study showed the fibers were cut, beaten, short, and randomly arranged—likely hemp paper. That makes it roughly 250-300 years older than Cai Lun's famous 105 CE presentation to Emperor He of Han.
Western Han tomb discovery reveals paper predates Cai Lun by 250-300 years
Key facts
- Cai Lun presented paper to Emperor He of Han in 105 CE, made from tree bark, hemp waste, cloth, and fishing nets
- The Book of the Later Han was compiled in the 5th century, roughly 300 years after Cai Lun's lifetime
- In 2021, archaeologists excavating an early Western Han tomb at Dabudzi near Xi'an found a bronze mirror wrapped in a yellow-green fiber sheet
- A 2025 study examined the fibers under microscopes; they were cut, beaten, short, and randomly arranged
- Researchers concluded the sheet was probably hemp paper, approximately 250-300 years older than Cai Lun's court presentation
- Archaeologists have found processed plant fiber sheets in several Western Han Dynasty contexts dating from before 105 CE
Site mentioned
📍 Dabudzi tomb near Xi'an
Sources
Translation: The Excavation of the Tomb of the Yang Gui ...academia.edu
This paper presents a report on the excavation of the tomb of Yang Gui, a notable figure from the Tang dynasty, along with his wife, found in the southern ...
Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperorwhc.unesco.org
Qinshihuang Mausoleum is the tomb of Emperor Qinshihuang, founder of the first unified empire in Chinese history during the 3rd century BCE.
Qin tomb - Studentskids.britannica.com
The tomb complex was constructed near the ancient capital city of Chang'an, now near the modern city of Xi'an, in Shaanxi province, north-central China.
Analysis of the Fiber Residues Unearthed from the Dabuzi ...pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The Dabuzi Cemetery is located on the terrace south of the Jing River (northeast of the Xianyang Plateau) in Xi'an China. Since 2020, the ...
Analysis of the Fiber Residues Unearthed from the Dabuzi ...researchgate.net
In 2021, archeologists found that a bronze mirror was wrapped with a yellow-green fiber sheet in the Western Han tomb M68 in the Dabuzi ...
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