April 29, 2012, Mainland China Center / Comprehensive Report

How did ancient Chinese astronomers accurately observe celestial phenomena? And what instruments did they use to measure solar terms? These two questions saw new developments in April! As early as 1977, unearthed Western Han Dynasty artifacts in Fuyang City, Anhui Province, included an "unknown lacquered artifact," "two discs," and a "divination board stand." At the time, no one understood their purpose. After more than two years of collaboration between university professor Shi Yunli and the local museum, a secret hidden for over 2,100 years was revealed—these were actually the world's oldest astronomical observation instruments.

Professor Shi Yun from the University of Science and Technology of China's Department of History of Science and Scientific Archaeology has dedicated years to studying several artifacts unearthed from the Western Han Dynasty tomb of the Marquis of Ruyin in Fuyang. The results, announced recently, have astonished many scholars both in China and abroad. Among the unearthed relics were the Taiyi Nine Palaces Divination Board, the Twenty-Eight Mansions Disc, and the Liuren Divination Board, recognized as the earliest astronomical equipment in archaeological history. However, the functions of two items labeled "unknown lacquered artifact" and "divination board stand" remained unclear.

Professor Shi Yunli and his research team spent over two years uncovering the secrets of these ancient artifacts. According to a report by *Hefei Online*, calculations and analyses revealed that the "divination board stand" from the Marquis of Ruyin's tomb was used to support the Twenty-Eight Mansions Disc. Together, they formed an "equatorial observation instrument." This discovery closely matches the characteristics of the "circular instrument" described in Han Dynasty texts, confirming that the "divination board stand" was undoubtedly related to celestial observation.

Historically, many mistakenly believed that the armillary sphere created by Zhang Heng of the Eastern Han Dynasty was China's earliest celestial observation instrument. However, the "divination board stand" unearthed from the Western Han tomb of the Marquis of Ruyin in Fuyang, when combined with the Twenty-Eight Mansions Disc, could calculate the distances between celestial bodies in the sky. This advancement predates the Eastern Han armillary sphere by at least 200 years.

While the "divination board stand" was used at night, the "unknown lacquered artifact" served as a daytime astronomical instrument. Its name stemmed from initial uncertainty about its function, but its exquisite craftsmanship represented the pinnacle of contemporary artistry and incorporated much modern astronomical knowledge. The artifact features several specially marked points with unique decorations. The research team discovered that if placed in the Han Dynasty capitals of Chang'an or Fuyang, the shadows cast by the sun at noon during the spring equinox, summer solstice, autumn equinox, and winter solstice would precisely align with these points. Thus, they concluded that the "unknown lacquered artifact" was a "gnomon" used to determine solar terms.

The earliest surviving gnomon artifact is a "bronze gnomon" unearthed in 1965 from an Eastern Han tomb in Yizheng, Jiangsu Province. The lacquered gnomon discovered in the Western Han tomb of the Marquis of Ruyin now resets the timeline for the emergence of gnomons, further proving that astronomical technology during the Western Han Dynasty was no less advanced—and perhaps even superior—to that of the Eastern Han.Source: http:/ / tw. news. yahoo. com/ wes……mical- records- 073900090. html;_ylt=As_zqOuyjP5YZIfIPqyM7mPlBdF_;_ylu=X3oDMTN2cW5jOG05BG1pdANUb3BTdG9yeSBUZWNobm9sb2d5U0YEcGtnAzQ0MDA5MWY5LWM3YWYtM2YwYS1iY2YwLWYyNGIzMDg5MjI5NwRwb3MDOARzZWMDdG9wX3N0b3J5BHZlcgM3ODAxYjkzOC05MWU2LTExZTEtOWZmMi1hMWUxYThjMjVkZTg-;_ylg=X3oDMTF2aXU4M3J1BGludGwDdHcEbGFuZwN6aC1oYW50LXR3BHBzdGFpZAMEcHN0Y2F0A.enkeaKgARwdANzZWN0aW9ucwR0ZXN0Aw--;_ylv=3