World's oldest observatory in China?

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World's oldest observatory in China

2005-10-31 Beijing Time

CHINESE archeologists said they have found the world's earliest

observatory, dating back some 4,100 years, in north China's Shanxi

Province.

 

The ancient observatory in the Taosi relics site in Shanxi is at

least 2,000 years older than the 1,000-year-old observatory built by

the Maya in central America, said He Nu, a researcher with the

Institute of Archeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

 

He said the observatory, built at the end of the primitive

society, "was not only used to observe astronomical phenomena but

also for sacrificial rites."

 

The remains of the observatory, in the shape of a semicircle 40

meters in diameter in the main observation platform and 60 meters in

diameter in the outer circle, were made by pounded earth in three

circles.

 

Archeologists inferred that 13 stone pillars, each at least 4 meters

tall, stood on the foundation of the first circle originally, leaving

12 spaces between them.

 

"The ancient people observed the direction of sunrise through the

gaps and distinguished the different seasons of the year," said He.

 

In order to test the conjecture, archeologists spent a year and a

half simulating the observations of the ancients at the site, he

said.

 

To their surprise, the seasons marked by observation at the site were

only one or two days different from the seasonal division of the

traditional Chinese calendar, which is still widely used in rural

China.

 

The Taosi relics site is located in Xiangfen County, Linfen City, and

covers 3 million square meters.

Xinhua

http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2005/10/31/208900/World__039_s_oldest

_observatory_in_China.htm

World's Oldest Observatory

Found In China

Press Trust of India

10-31-5

 

BEIJING -- Chinese archaeologists claim to have discovered the

world's earliest observatory, dating back to some 4,100 years, in

North China's Shanxi province.

 

The ancient observatory in the Taosi relics site is at least 2,000

years older than the 1,000-year-old observatory built by the Mayans

in Central America, a research fellow with the Institute of

Archaeology of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, He Nu said.

 

He said the observatory built at the end of the primitive

society, "was not only used for observing astronomical phenomena but

also for sacrificial rites."

 

To test the conjecture, archaeologists spent a year and a half

simulating the observations of the findings at the site.

Surprisingly, the seasons marked by their observation are only a few

days different from the seasonal division of the traditional Chinese

calendar.

 

The Taosi relics site, dated back to 4,300 years ago, is in Xiangfen

county, Linfen city of Shanxi province, and covers an area of 3 m

square metres. It is believed to be a settlement during the period of

the five legendary rulers (2,600 BC-1,600 BC) in Chinese history.

 

Astronomical observation and the making of calendars is one of the

symbols of the origin of civilisation, according to experts. A

historical document says that China had special officials in charge

of astronomical observation as early as the 24th century BC. The

discovery of the ancient observatory in Taosi confirmed the records,

the report said.

 

Meanwhile, experts have urged the government to make plans to

conserve the ancient observatory.