ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Seal script

Seal script is a type of ancient Chinese writing that was used thousands of years ago. It looks very different from the writing we use today, like the letters of the alphabet. Instead of each letter representing a sound, seal script uses different kinds of lines and shapes to represent different words.

Imagine drawing a picture of something instead of writing the word for it. That's what seal script is like. It uses special symbols called characters, which are like little pictures that stand for whole words or ideas. Some characters even look like the objects they represent. For example, the character for "tree" kind of looks like the shape of a tree.

Seal script was called that because it was often used to make little stamps or seals with special designs on them. These seals were used for signing important documents or for showing that something belonged to a specific person. People would dip the seal into ink and then press it onto paper, leaving behind a mark that was unique to them.

Seal script was most popular during the ancient times in China, around 3,000 years ago. Back then, people would write on materials like bamboo or animal bones. They would use special tools like brushes or sharp tools to carve the characters into the materials. It was a very skilled and careful process!

The characters in seal script are a bit harder to read than our modern writing because they look so different. They are made up of lots of different lines, curves, and shapes. Sometimes, it can take a lot of practice to be able to read and understand these characters. But many people think that they're also very beautiful and artistic!

Over time, seal script changed and evolved into different styles of writing, like the script we use today. But even though we don't use seal script anymore, it is still very important because it helps us understand the history and culture of ancient China. People study it to learn about the way people lived and communicated so long ago.
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