6 MEMOIRS OF THE CARNEGIE MUSEUM 
day, and omitting to designate the reign. Their ancient sacrificial tripods and 
libation cups are often inscribed thus: ‘Tenth year, first moon, I make this vessel 
as a precious memorial for the perpetual use of my descendants” (> 34 K )¥]). 
Had only the solicitous ancestor added the current reign, how much more valuable 
would have been his message to the antiquarian of to-day. 
An extensive find of inscribed tortoise shells and bones of sacrificial animals was 
made by Chinese in 1899 while digging in or near the ancient city Chao Kuo 
Ch’éng (34 aR th), now Wei-Hui-Fu, in Honan Province. These have been 
reviewed by the writer and found to be inscribed in an archaic style difficult to 
decipher. The entire set of inscriptions may yield 600 different symbols, and are 
probably referable to the early Chou Dynasty (cirea B. C. 1000). (See infra.) 
Small bronze objects which furnish meager data to the investigator of early 
symbolism are coins, seals, and martial accoutrements, such as swords, spear-heads, 
buckles, chariot hubs, and crossbow triggers. These furnish a limited vocabulary 
of geographical names and numerals, together with devices and monograms the 
significance of which has been lost. 
The inscriptions on coins are prolific in names of cities, numerals, and mint- 
marks of uncertain meaning. Contracted symbols are frequently noted on ancient 
Chinese coins, just as on those of other nations, and allowance must be made for 
this when comparing these symbols with the fuller forms found elsewhere. Thus 
@ 2ppears for (3) (modern form 2) used to this day to specify the denomination of 
a coin. YQ often appears for @ (modern form ) “exchange” or “commercial 
value.” 
Bronze and stone seals by their nature and use contribute but little to the list 
of ancient symbols, monograms and fanciful signs having been in use for this pur- 
pose from the earliest times. 
Trade-marks on pottery afford a few old symbols, especially those found on frag- 
ments exhumed on the site of ancient cities the date of the overthrow of which 
is approximately fixed by history or tradition. 
Another important source of information is the Etymological Dictionary of the 
Han Dynasty, known as the Shuo Wén (3% X) “speech signs,” which was compiled 
by the scholar Hsii Shen and first published A. D. 120. The opinions of Sino- 
logues have differed widely as to the value of this work. After making allowance 
for a corrupt modern text, and for the frequent flights of imagination made by the 
author, it must be conceded that this celebrated work ranks high as an etymological 
treatise, when compared with like works upon European languages produced at a 
much later date by Western scholars. As an incidental evidence of the conscientious 
