Researchers from Beijing's Tsinghua University have studied the fragile writing material for years and have now worked out what is written on them. Overall, the 2,500 slips of bamboo form five texts across three subjects. The texts titled "Rites of a High Official's Meal" and "Record Rites of a High Official's Meal" have details about ceremonial customs adhered to a high-ranking official and his guests. The texts "Diagram of Five Tones" and "Music Style" deal with music and musical notation; for example, part of the texts discuss the use of a pentagram to display the five notes of traditional Chinese music. The philosophical text "Fear Heaven and Use Body" focuses on the relationship that people believe they have with the heavens.

Artists created the texts during China's Warring States Period, in the 5th Century, and during the Qin Dynasty. Founding that dynasty was Shi-huang-di, China's first emperor, after defeating the other six of the warring states: Han, Zhao, Yan, Wei, Chu, and then Qi.

Delivering the news of the successful translation was Huang Dekuan of the Center for the Study and Conservation of Excavated Documents. The team has been studying the bamboo slips since shortly after they were discovered, in 2008.