Chopsticks originated in ancient China as early as the Shang dynasty (1766-1122 B.C.). The earliest evidence of their existence is provided by six bronze chopsticks, each one 26 centimeters (10 inches) long and 1.1 to 1.3 centimeters (0.5 inches) wide, excavated from the Yin Ruins in northern Henan Province. The chopsticks dated roughly to 1200 B.C. and are thought to have been used for cooking. The earliest known extant textual reference to the use of chopsticks comes from "Han Feizi," a philosophical text written by Han Fei (c. 280-233 B.C.) in the third century B.C.