郑显文 王 喆

【摘 要】 自从中国上古时期发明文字以来，就出现了最早的书证形式。 我国先秦以前的书证非常简略，大多书写在木简、竹简、金石器物和布帛之上，非常不便。随着造纸技术的发明和纸张的广泛使用，书证适用于各种民事、刑事和行政诉讼领域。纸张的普及推动了中国古代书证制度的发展，同时也带来了容易伪造的弊端。为了防止伪造和变造书证，历代法典都设有相关的法律条文，对伪造书证的行为给予严惩。针对书证容易伪造和变造的特点，采取了许多预防性措施，如让双方当事人、保人、见证人在各类书证上签字画押，在公、私文书上加盖印章，以保障书证的真实性。书证制度的出现，使中国古代的审判制度从西周以后迅速摆脱了夏商以来野蛮落后的神明裁判方式，向着更加文明化的方向发展。中国古代书证制度的发达，对于减少诉讼成本、降低原被告双方的举证难度也具有重要的作用。书证制度的发展也推动了中国古代法律制度层面的建设，有助于提高民众的法律意识。

【关键词】 书证；契约；诉讼；律令

【中图分类号】 D918.9

【文献标识码】 A

【文章编号】 1674-1226（2009）05-0565-032

Ancient Chinese Documentary Evidence—Its Evolution and Judiciary Application. Zheng Xianwen, Wang Zhe.China University of Political Science and Law, Beijing 102249.

【Abstract】 After characters were first invented in ancient China, documentary evidence appeared accordingly. Pre-Qin Dynasty documentary evidences were mostly brief as their carriers are wooden or bamboo slips, metal or stone articles, and cloth. After paper was invented and put into wide use, documentary evidence began to appear in civil, criminal and administrative proceedings. While adding momentum to the burgeoning of ancient Chinese documentary system, the use of paper brought with it a striking disadvantage, easy forgery. For the end of curbing falsification and wanton alteration of documentary evidence, the dynasties promulgated severe penalties in their laws. Many preventive measures were also adopted, such as signature and seals affixed by parties,securing persons and witnesses on documents. The documentary evidence system, after its emergence, put an end to the primitive decision ways that were in use in the Xia and Shang Dynasties，and started a more civilized trend since the West Zhou Dynasty, marking a drastic change of direction of ancient China’s evidence and trial systems. This new trend meant much to parties as it relieved them of legal costs and difficulty of proof. The “new” system, in its evolution, helped the ancient Chinese law system to develop toward higher stages and popularize law among the masses.

【Key Words】 Documentary evidence, Covenants, Lawsuits, Laws and decrees