Skip to main content

Primary sourceArtifactQin dynasty

Qin Iron Weight Inscription

Qin dynasty

A photograph of a Qin-dynasty inscribed iron weight, used to enforce Qin Shi Huang's standardization of measures.

This weight bears Qin Shi Huang's imperial edict standardizing measures across his empire.

Ask Emperor Qin Shi Huang about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
A museum wall display showing a black-and-white rubbing of inscribed ancient Chinese characters on the left, with a modern calligraphic translation in black ink on the right and a small caption below in Chinese and English reading Inscription Rubbings of the Imperial Edict for an Iron Weight and its Modern Translation.
Qin-dynasty iron weight inscription, Yantai Museum, Shandong.

About this source

What it is

This photograph shows a museum display of an inscribed iron weight from the Qin dynasty, excavated in Shandong and now kept at the Yantai Museum. The display includes a rubbing of the ancient inscription alongside a modern calligraphic translation.

Why it matters

The weight carries an imperial edict, part of Qin Shi Huang's policy to standardize weights, measures, and writing across his newly unified empire. Objects like this reveal how the emperor tried to bind together different regions and peoples under one administrative system.

Look closer

  • Why would a ruler want everyone to use the same weights and measures?
  • What does the inscription tell us about how Qin Shi Huang communicated his orders across the empire?
  • How does a museum's modern translation help us, and what might be lost in translation?

This artifact is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Emperor Qin Shi Huang on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Emperor Qin Shi Huang sources

Meet the AI Emperor Qin Shi Huang →
Excavated pit of the Terracotta Army under a large covered hall. Rows of life-sized clay soldiers stand in long trenches separated by earthen walls, with some clay horses visible at right. Visitors watch from walkways at the edges.Sculpture

Primary source

Terracotta Army

c. 247–209 BCE

Wide view of a landscaped park on a sunny day: a paved plaza in front, a grass lawn, a rectangular hedge with a small white pavilion on a raised mound, tall cypress trees, a wooded hill behind, and groups of visitors.Artifact

Primary source

Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor

246–208 BCE

Aerial view of the Great Wall of China at Jinshanling. Stone wall with watchtowers winds along a green forested ridge through hilly terrain, with mountains and cloudy sky in the background.Artifact

Primary source

Great Wall of China

7th century BCE–present, Qin-era sections 3rd century BCE

A rough, brownish stone-like weight with a knob on top, displayed in a glass case on a white base. A green patina inscription plaque with carved characters is set into its front face.Artifact

Primary source

Qin Iron Weight with Imperial Edict

221 BCE

A single narrow wooden or bamboo slip, pale yellow-tan, with a dark blackened top end and a pointed bottom end, mounted behind glass on a fabric-covered backing. Several lines of brown-black ink characters are written vertically down its face.Document

Primary source

Liye Qin Slips

Qin dynasty, 3rd century BCE

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Emperor Qin Shi Huang now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions