The System and Features of Non-textual Ink Marks in Warring, States Period Bamboo Slips Collected in Anhui University (Volume I)

Bamboo slips from the Warring States, Dynasties of Qin and Han contain numerous non-textual ink marks. These marks complement the written content, together forming the artistic treasures of classical documents. In Warring States Period Bamboo Slips Collected in Anhui University (Volume I), such marks appear in various forms. These marks appear in the forms of single dots, double dots, circles, squares, hooks and more. Their functions are closely tied to their positions within the text. They primarily serve to indicate combined or repeated zi Chinese characters, mark semantic pauses, and signal the end of sections. This system of the marks is both comprehensive and standardized, meriting the description as living fossils of Chinese punctuation from pre-imperial China. Furthermore, the scribal habits of the scribes exerted a discernible subjective influence on the forms, usage, and distribution of these marks.