2000 Year Old Acupuncture Relics Found

Posted By:  Scott Stewart, MSAc., Dipl., Ac., LAc

In 2013, archeologists discovered 920 bamboo strips at a construction site in Chengdu, China that dated back 2,000 years; all the way back to the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 24 CE).  The bamboo strips were inscribed with prescriptions for treating various diseases.  Once the manuscripts were dated and studied it was revealed that they were written not by the Bian Que school, but rather by Bian Que himself.  This was a huge find, because Bian Que’s writings were thought to be lost.  Some of the subjects covered in these medical texts were:  dermatology, gynecology, ophthalmology, and traumatology 

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Bian Que was one of the founding fathers of traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), and considered to be one of the most skilled physicians of his time, not to mention, a physician who was way ahead of his own time.  He was a master diagnostician who pioneered pulse diagnosis, at one time he performed an organ transplant, and even used anesthesia.    

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Other items found at this site included 181 bamboo strips depicting medical treatments for horses, 9 medical books (some verified as being written by Bian Que), a 14cm tall figurine illustrating acupoints, and other various relics. 

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References:

The Epoch Times
China Culture Organization