「郵」制攷--秦漢時代を中心に

Abstract

Only recently found and/or published manuscripts from the very beginning of the Chinese empire, i.e., from the end of the third to the beginning of the second century B.C., have made possible a better understanding of the early Chinese system of mail delivery through runners, in particular its legislative aspects. The paper first provides an overview about the subject as it can be dealt with on the basis of traditional sources, before it tries to fill out and enlarge this framework on the basis of the manuscripts. These are chiefly bamboo strips from a Han tomb at Zhangjiashan, a Qin tomb at Shuihudi, as well as wooden boards from a Qin well at Liye. Except for their contents, the organization and the transcription of the manuscripts are also critically dealt with and occasionally alternative suggestions are made.