The Han dynasty eunuch Sima Qian (around 100 BCE) was the first in China to lay the groundwork for professional historical writing. His work superseded the older style of the "Spring and Autumn Annals", compiled in the 5th century BC, the "Bamboo Annals" and other court and dynastic annals that recorded history in a chronological form that abstained from analysis. Sima's "Shiji" ("Records of the Grand Historian") pioneered the "Annals-biography" format, which would become the standard for prestige history writing in China. In this genre a history opens with a chronological outline of court affairs, and then continues with detailed biographies of prominent people who lived during the period in question. The scope of his work extended as far back as the 16th century BCE, and included many treatises on specific subjects and individual biographies of prominent people. He also explored the lives and deeds of commoners, both contemporary and those of previous eras.