The exploration of the territory of the Wusuns

In 1930, in the Lop Nur region of Xinjiang, the Chinese researcher Huang Wenbi discovered a bamboo slip from the period of the Han Dynasty with the character “Wusun” (#), which caused discussion among Chinese and foreign researchers about the territory of the Wusun. This article, based on historical documents and archaeological datas, examines the territory of the Wusun during its heyday, when the territory of the Wusun was bounded by the western edge of the Junggar Basin to the east, the Naryn River to the south, the Chu River to the west, and the Lake Balkhash to the north. The core of the territory of the Wusun was the coastal zone of the Lake Issyk-Kul and the Turk River basin. Probably, the event described on the slip from Lop Nor could have taken place in the state of Gumo, which was under the command of the military commander of the western territory of the Western Han government -officer Ji. And those who invaded the territory of the Western Han and killed the commander of the rear part of the right army (Yubu-houqu-houchen) Chen Yin probably came from the small Kunmi.