Acupuncture, this unique method of treating diseases, is generally believed to have originated from the Neolithic period about 10,000 to 5,000 years ago, based on the descriptions in a large number of ancient texts and the study of unearthed relics through archaeological excavations. Its origins can even be traced back to the Paleolithic period about 100,000 years ago. Bian stone, considered to be the earliest primitive medical tool in China, is defined in the "Shuowen Jiezi" as "a stone used to prick diseases." It was only after the advent of the Neolithic period that specific-shaped medical bian stones appeared, as the stone-making technology advanced. They were tools used by our ancestors to open abscesses, drain pus and blood, or stimulate certain parts of the body to alleviate pain, serving as the precursor to later metal knives and needles.
Bian stone
Description: Made of stone, unearthed in Dayao Village, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia.
Bian stone
Description: Neolithic period. Unearthed in the early 1970s at the Yangshao Culture site in Xi Chuan, Henan. It measures 7cm in length and 3cm in width. It has a sharp tip and blades on both sides, which our ancestors used for bloodletting, abscess drainage, and removal of necrotic tissue. It is now housed in the Shaanxi Medical History Museum.
Agate leaf
Description: Neolithic period. Unearthed in Xi'an in 1964.
