“门浅”滑石印及相关问题管窥

Points of View on the “Menqian” Inscribed Talc Seal and Related Issues

1954年长沙斩犯山7号墓出土一枚西汉滑石印,覆斗钮,方形印面,印文为阴刻“门浅”二字,边长2.6~2.7、高2厘米[1](图一)。这枚“门浅”印印文刻写细致,文字清晰,兼具艺术与史料价值。相较于其鲜明的艺术特色,该印的史料价值尚未得到充分关注。由于“门浅”缺载于传世文献,其他出土资料又长期匮乏,学界对其认知曾一度产生过偏差。近年来,随着更多考古资料的陆续发表,“门浅”的历史面貌逐渐变得清晰,对该印性质、归属及相关史地问题等的探讨,亦可更进一步。

Among the large number of seals unearthed from Han tombs in Hunan, the “Menqian” inscribed talc seal is a distinctive piece. The absence of “Menqian” from historical documents has caused disagreement and controversy among scholars. Taking the “Menqian” inscribed talc seal as a starting point, alongside analysis of a variety of unearthed documents such as clay seals, bamboo and wooden slips, as well as lacquerware inscriptions, this paper re-examines the nature and cultural attribution of this talc seal and preliminarily discusses the time period and location of Menqian county’s existence. Building upon previous studies, this paper aims to perform a thorough discussion of such issues as Qin and Han governmental systems, seal management and the establishment of commandery-county divisions, as well as to fill gaps regarding related historico-geographical issues in historical documents.