The scribes do not seem to have thought of this scriptthat they had invented as a representation of language.

It is writtenin a script known as proto-cuneiform, a script that did not representsounds or even language at all; signs served as memory aids.

and its management in state-buildin

worshiped Pan Hu, a legendary figure, as part of their New Year's celebrations.

he treatment is anecdotal

"Miao albums" that were compiled by officials responsible for governing frontier areas during the late Yongzheng or early Qianlong periods. These albums contained illustrations and texts describing the customs and practices of different ethnic minority groups in southwest China.

Qing Imperial Illustrations of Tributary Peoples was based on direct observation,

China saw a rise in ethnographic representation of different peoples, including the development of a systematic ethnography of ethnic minority groups.

The chapter also explores the development of anthropology and ethnography as academic disciplines, which began to take shape in the 19th century.