Chinese archaeologists have excavated a rare Silk Inspection and Taxation Office dating to the Western Han Dynasty near the city of Xi'an. The site served as a mandatory quality-control hub where silk destined for the Silk Road was weighed, graded, and stamped with imperial seals. Researchers found hundreds of clay seal impressions (sealing clay) that denote specific quality grades and the names of government inspectors.
The presence of charred silk fragments and specialized weighing scales suggests that the Han government maintained a strict monopoly and quality standard for the textile trade. This discovery provides crucial evidence of the state's direct intervention in commercial logistics, ensuring that only the finest 'Imperial Grade' silk reached foreign markets in the West.