「碑」最早之紀錄見於《三禮》之中，但《三禮》中的記載，與現今所認知的「碑」實有相當大的差異。在《三禮》之後則「碑」見於許慎《說文》，但許慎僅以「豎石」言之，未有更明確的說明。直到東漢末劉熙《釋名》，才針對「碑」作用、特性等有所說明，故就「碑」的發展而言，兩漢為主要的關鍵時期。「碑」在兩漢發展狀況為何？針對此問題，本文整理與分析兩漢現存石刻資料，透過這些原始資料的整理，可以發現西漢時期以「刻石」為主，獨立刻石者以用於記事、紀功或者昭示產權，另外則是在墓葬石質建材上刊刻標示，或者刻文恫嚇盜墓者。隨者「刻石」活動的興起，東漢中期以後「碑」成為刻石的項目之一，並在東漢末桓、靈兩帝時期整體數量上高過於其他刻石項目，加上「碑」除存有原始外在形制外，刊載的內容參考「銘」、「頌」等文體，以記載、頌揚個人之事蹟為主，在有固定形制、功能，以及立「碑」已取代其他刻石活動，使「碑」獨立於「刻石」之外，自成一系。

The earliest record regarding inscribed stele is found in the San-Li, but the meaning is different to what is understood in the modern sense. The inscribed stele also appeared in contexts such as Xu Shen’s Shuo-Wen, yet only concerning the erecting of a stele, without further clarification. The function, characteristics and other attributes were only explained until Liu Xi’s Shi-Ming during the late Eastern Han period. While testimonia suggest that the two Han Dynasties are pivotal for the development of the stele, the process has yet been analyzed. This paper collates and analyzes extant inscribed stelai during the two Han Dynasties. The pattern of the collated data shows that inscribed stelai during the Western Han Dynasty were primarily for documentary, honorary, or for declaring property ownership; there is also the use of funerary markers to deter looters. By the mid-Eastern Han Dynasty, stelai becomes only one type of inscribed media, but its quantity was manifestly greater than others. Stelai that possessed a traditional format were used for documentary and honorary purposes. The textual genre becomes orientated towards the lterary Ming and Song types. As such, the formal and functional characteristics of stelai became an unqiue system among inscribed media.