TCM Unearthed: Bian Stones and Bone Needles

These tools, unearthed from Neolithic sites in Inner Mongolia, Shandong, and Xi'an, are the earliest surviving medical instruments in China. Bian Stones are the most primitive medical tools of ancient China. The Eastern Han dynasty dictionary, Shuowen Jiezi, explains: "Bian means treating ilness with stone." They were primarily used to lance abscesses and drain stagnant blood. The nearby bone needles with small holes served a dual purpose: as sewing tools for clothing and as instruments for acupuncture. They are the predecessors of later metal needles and laid the foundation for the development of acupuncture and moxibustion in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). They are now housed in the Shanghai Museum of TCM .

Portions of this article were adapted from research materials originally published on National Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine.