The officials and their scrolls

Bamboo strips were used widely for writing during the Warring States Period (475-221 BC), although some experts say the first scrolls of bamboo appeared in the Western Zhou Dynasty (11th century-771 BC). Paper finally replaced bamboo as the primary writing material around the 2nd century. It was a finding in Xi'an, Shaanxi province that shed light on how bamboo strips had been used 2,200 years ago.

In 2001, archaeologists made an important discovery near the mausoleum of Emperor Qinshihuang - the First Emperor of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) - in Lintong county, Xi'an, in Northwest China.

Among the 12 life-sized figures that were unearthed, experts were astonished to see eight civil officials. Standing 1.89 m tall, they all wore tall headdresses tied to the chin. Their long robe was bound with a leather belt, and they were all dressed in long trousers and square-shaped shoes. The other four figures, 1.9 m tall, were chariot drivers.