Overview
Key data
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Excavated | 1973, Mawangdui tomb 3, Changsha, Hunan |
| Date | c. 168 BCE (year of the tomb’s burial) |
| Material | Silk manuscript |
| Contents | Motions and portents of the five planets, with their synodic periods |
| Publication | The Mawangdui Han Tomb Silk Manuscripts |
Contents and structure
The text treats Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Saturn and Mercury in turn, first their motions, then the portents attached.
The portents concern the fortune signified by each planet’s colour, position and motion.
The values it preserves
Beyond the portents the manuscript lists synodic periods for each planet.
Venus, for instance, is given a synodic period of a little over 584 days, already close to the modern 583.92 days.
These are among the earliest surviving synodic periods in the world, putting the level of ancient Chinese planetary observation directly on record.
Value
Chinese planetary knowledge in transmitted texts is scattered. The discovery of this manuscript
made the face of early Han planetary theory fully visible for the first time, giving it high standing in the history of science.
Compiled and arranged by Chujia Kuang.