Chinese Paleography, Calligraphy, and Pattern Recognition: Styles and Scripts in Excavated Ancient Chinese Documents

Just as the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls significantly changed the study of Judeo-Christian biblical tradition, excavated ancient Chinese documents, many of which are unavailable in the transmitted textual tradition, have dramatically changed the study and understanding of almost every aspect of ancient China. As original work of ancient Chinese calligraphy produced in different historical periods and geographic areas, the excavated ancient Chinese documents are vivid demonstrations of stylistic variations, structural complexity and aesthetic principles of ancient Chinese scripts. I argue that an interdisciplinary study of Chinese paleography, calligraphy, and pattern recognition provides an innovative digital approach to the interpretation of excavated ancient Chinese documents and the revolution of traditional Chinese paleography.