In Hubei Province, archaeologists have discovered a royal scriptorium dating back to the Chu State of the Warring States Period. The site is remarkable for yielding several inscribed silk maps that are perfectly preserved, showing regional topography and troop deployments. These maps are accompanied by dozens of lacquered writing brushes and inkstones, providing a rare look into the administrative and military planning of one of China's most powerful ancient kingdoms.
The scriptorium also contained an archive of bamboo slips detailing the 'laws of scholarship,' which dictated how official histories and state secrets were to be recorded. This find suggests that the Chu state had a highly bureaucratized intellectual center that rivaled the better-known institutions of the Qin and Han dynasties. The high level of craftsmanship in the silk and lacquerware underscores the cultural sophistication of the Chu people prior to the unification of China.