试论西北汉简所见大小石的几个问题

On Some Issues about the “Da Shi” and “Xiao Shi” Seen in the Texts of the Bamboo Slips of the Han Dynasty Unearthed in Northwestern China

大小石并非地方性的特殊粮食计量习惯,而是汉代全国通制。据目前所出西北汉简,汉代河西地区常使用两个大石和一个小石来计量粮食,其中小石是统一的,两个大石则分别用来量禾黍类与麦类原粮。量粟的大小石之比为5︰3,量麦的大小石之比为3︰2。结合出土秦简,可知两大石一小石的粮食计量体系,秦代就已存在。

The simultaneous using of da(large)shi and xiao(small)shi as volumetric measurements of grains was not a local special custom but a nationwide rule during the Han Dynasty.From the bamboo slips of the Han Dynasty unearthed in northwestern China to date,we can see that during the Han Dynasty,two kinds of da shi and one kind of xiao shi were used to measure grains in the Hexi Corridor,the xiao shi of which was used to measure everything,but the two different sized da shi were used to measure unprocessed rice and millet and unprocessed wheat,respectively.The ratio of the volumes of the da shi and xiao shi for measuring rice and millet was 5︰3,and that of the volumes of the da shi and xiao shi for measuring wheat was 3︰2.Referring to the contents of unearthed bamboo slips of the Qin Dynasty,it is known that this grain measuring system consisting of two kinds of da shi and one kind of xiao shi had existed in the Qin Dynasty but not newly created in the Han Dynasty.