When the Zidanku Silk Manuscripts recently returned from the United States landed in scholars’ hands, one detail in the third volume, "Gongshou Zhan," caught everyone’s eye: some characters seem to face different directions.
Careful analysis reveals this isn’t damage or a copying error but a deliberate clockwise circular writing technique used by an ancient scribe. Similar patterns across multiple fragments confirm that the rotation was consistent throughout the manuscript.
According to experts, this unique style may have been designed to mimic the movement of the cosmos, offering a visual expression of the Warring States period’s cosmology more than 2,200 years ago.
By literally turning the text in a circle, the scribe created a dynamic link between written words and astronomical myth, blending art and science in a way rarely seen in early manuscripts.
This discovery opens a fresh window into ancient thought, reminding us that innovation and storytelling have deep roots—and sometimes, a circular twist.
Reference(s):
Circular script in Zidanku Silk Manuscripts reflects ancient cosmology
cgtn.com
