Ancient notching or tokening as bookkeeping – Evidence from wood slips in China during 217–210 BCE

We examine Qin Dynasty (221 to 207 BCE) wood bookkeeping slips from 217 to 210 BCE unearthed in Hunan province, China. While purely written slips were unearthed before, these slips are unique in that they contain written records of details of transactions as well as notches on their sides that represent the quantities of money or measures of commodities involved. Scholars have speculated that ancient engraving, notching or tokening before the development of written language could be bookkeeping/accounting. We show a form of bookkeeping combining notching with written records that emerged at a point in Chinese history where a region saw a temporary dip in local literacy. Notching reappeared to compensate for the loss in literacy to prevent fraud and reduce bookkeepers’ risk of being accused of fraud. This form of dual-method bookkeeping adds credence to the conjecture that prehistorical, pre-language notching, engraving or tokening was likely bookkeeping/accounting.