Once the fragments are separated, they need to be analyzed and carefully pieced together like puzzles to help researchers identify more characters in context, forming a necessary foundation for deeper research, he adds.

The two volumes of the manuscripts consist of more than 500 fragments, posing a significant challenge for their preservation and research, Yu of the Hunan Museum says.

An immediate priority is to conduct a "medical checkup", a comprehensive scientific assessment of the manuscripts to better understand their condition, Yu says, a process that requires experts from many disciplines, including chemistry and materials science.