The Chronology and Characteristics of Newly Discovered Clay Seals from the Yunnan Hebosuo Site: A Preliminary Study for the Reassessment of Clay Seals Excavated from Lelang administrative division

The Yunnan Hebosuo site is located in Shangsan Town, Jinning District, Kunming City, Yunnan Province, China, and is an important archaeological site where relics and structures from the Bronze Age to the Han Dynasty have been extensively unearthed. While archaeological investigations began in the 1950s, systematic excavations were carried out only after 2008. Notably, the discovery of the “Seal of the King of Dian” (滇王之印), the “Seal of Dian State” (滇國相印), and the “Seal of the Governor of Yizhou” (益州太守章) provides crucial material evidence that this region served as the administrative center of Yizhou Commandery during the Han Dynasty and was fully integrated into the central government’s administrative system. Yizhou Commandery was established in 109 BCE as a frontier administrative region (邊郡) following Emperor Wu of Han’s conquest of the southwestern tribes (西南夷). The commandery consisted of 24 subordinate counties but underwent structural changes during the Eastern Han and the Three Kingdoms period, with some counties being abolished or absorbed into other administrative divisions. Findings from the Hebosuo site affirm that this area was fully incorporated into the Han central administration. Evidence from the Hebosuo site also reveals traces of the use and disposal of seals (封泥), which are consistent with similar findings from other Han Dynasty sites, such as Linzi in Shandong and Pingyu in Henan. Seals were used not only to secure documents but also to seal specific items and possibly even facilities such as gates. A notable mystery for researchers has been the presence of seals bearing the name of the local commandery itself. It is hypothesized that these seals may be related to the drafting and storage of administrative documents under the governance system of the time. The Hebosuo site and its unearthed seals offer critical archaeological evidence for understanding how the Han central government exercised control over its local regions. The site provides concrete data on the historical context of Emperor Wu’s southwestern campaigns and the formation of Yizhou Commandery, highlighting the operational linkages between the central and local administrations. Additionally, the methods of seal disposal found at the site shed light on the administrative and document management systems of the Han Dynasty. Furthermore, these findings contribute to broader research goals, such as verifying the authenticity and characteristics of seals excavated from Lelang Commandery in Korea, in the context of Chinese migration and governance strategies.