Fundamental Research on the Calculation of Standard Characters in Ancient Chinese Wooden Tablets

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K13127
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 03030:History of Asia and Africa-related
• Research Institution: Ritsumeikan University (2022-2023); Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties (2021)
• Principal Investigator: HATANO YOSHINORI 立命館大学, 衣笠総合研究機構, 助教 (50835478)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 中国古代史 / 簡牘学 / 古文書学 / 文書行政 / 筆跡 / 複合文書 / 文書処理 / 里耶秦簡

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study addresses the primary issue of eliminating subjectivity in traditional methods of handwriting analysis of Chinese wooden tablets. By employing the following two methodologies, we achieved the objective quantification of handwriting characteristics: (1) Observation of characteristic points of handwriting ("internal information observation"), and (2) Extraction of individual handwriting habits ("external information measurement"). Based on this data, we reported on various issues related to document processing, focusing on the determination of identical and different handwriting, at research meetings and other forums. Additionally, in collaboration with joint projects, we widely disseminated the methods and results of this research by releasing the "Chinese Bamboo Slips Handwriting Dataset Beta Version."

Free Research Field

中国古代史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究手法により生成された中国簡牘の筆跡データは、客観性と再現性をともなう点が最大の特徴である。したがって、他の研究者の研究目的に応じたデータ生成や二次利用が可能であり、当該研究分野においては新規性の高い研究志向である。また今後は、データの生成・公開だけでなく、データの生成手法を公開することで、本手法の考案時には想定しえなかったような新たなデータの活用・分析方法の提案等が見込まれ、さらなる発展が期待される。