The weather in Hu Si town
A brief record gives a complete and scientific description of the time, place, process, shape and proportion of meteorite falling, which is also a rare excellent record in the history of astronomy in the world.
Archaeological excavations and ancient documents show that China is one of the earliest developed countries in astronomy. Starting from primitive society, our ancestors gradually accumulated astronomical knowledge to meet the needs of gathering, hunting and farming and animal husbandry activities, and by observing the astronomical phenomena, setting the direction, setting the season and announcing the farming season, ancient astronomy germinated and developed in China.
As early as six or seven thousand years ago, in Xi 'an Banpo site belonging to Yangshao culture, the doors of houses, tombs and heads of human bones all face south. Dadunzi Cemetery in Pixian County, Jiangsu Province, has five layers of tombs, and the late one is stacked on the early one, but the direction is still generally the same. This consistency shows that they have been able to identify the direction. For the ancients who worked at sunrise and rested at sunset in primitive times, the only basis for setting the direction was the change of the sky, especially the sun.
The sun brings light to the earth and warmth to people. On the pottery unearthed in the Neolithic Age, there are articles decorated with the sun. On the painted pottery unearthed from Yangshao culture in Dahe Village, Zhengzhou, Henan Province, there is a red center in the middle, surrounded by colored light, showing the image of the sun; The grey pottery unearthed from Longshan culture in Dawenkou, Shandong Province, is venerable, with the pattern of the sun rising from the hill and the sun emerging from the clouds, which may be the pictograph of the word "Dan". Later, in the Book of Songs, there is a poem ② "The scenery is a hill, and its yin and yang are opposite", which means that the sun on the hill sets the direction, and another article "The Wind Sets the Square" says: "Take the sun as the guide and make it in the Chu room". These descriptions of the direction of sunset are the heritage of ancient customs.
Sunrise and sunset not only indicate the direction, but also form a cycle of day and night. The alternation of day and night gives people the concept of day. Both day and night and the sun are represented by the word "day", which is obviously associated with the sun. In order to calculate the passage of days, many methods appeared in primitive times. Before and after China's liberation, some ethnic minorities were still in primitive society, some tied knots on ropes, some carved characters on bamboo, and some put stones in bamboo tubes. These methods of recording a day are obviously primitive. Oracle bone inscriptions unearthed in the Yin and Shang Dynasties have a complete method of recording the date, in which the main branches are A, B, C, D, E, Ji, Geng, Xin, Ren and Gui. At the end of summer, some words in the Ten Branches, such as Kong Jia, etc., were used in the names of emperors, indicating that they may have been formed earlier. The Branches include Zi, Ugly, Yin, Mao, Chen, Si and Gui. There is a cow scapula in Wuyi period (about13rd century BC), on which 60 branches are completely engraved, which may be the calendar at that time. In Oracle Bone Inscriptions, there is also a ten-day word, which Yin people call ten days as ten days, and this name has been passed down to this day.
There is a full moon, which is the most obvious change in the sky at night. From the full moon (looking) to the full moon, or from the first sight of the moon to the next sight, or from the last sight of the moon (dark) to the next sight, it is almost thirty days. The change of the full moon produced the concept of "moon". The Assisi people's jumping on the moon and the fixed hope of the Tibetan calendar are all left over from the primitive period. Wang, Yi and Hui were known earlier than the new moon, and the earliest word "new moon" was found in the Book of Songs.
Although the period of seasons and years is longer than that of days and months, it is not too late. Because it may be more important than the sun and the moon, and it is closely related to cold and heat, withered vegetation, bumper agricultural harvest and animal reproduction. The development of agriculture and animal husbandry production needs an accurate grasp of seasonal seasons, and the periodic changes of astronomical phenomena are inevitably related to phenology. By observing the astronomical phenomena, we can determine the changes of seasons and years. Observing images and timing are not only necessary for production, but also the earliest astronomical activities. There is an old legend in the literature: "The decline of Shaoluojia is also the moral chaos in Jiuli. ..... Zhuan Xu, is the life of south heavy company to god. Life and flame belong to the people. ..... The last three Miao took the virtue of nine Li, so the two officials resigned, but after a leap, I obeyed and Meng Yi was destroyed. She was disqualified from discipline and was considered to be out of line with the rules. After returning to Lebanon, he didn't forget the old one, so he took it as a standard and made xi an official. When the time is ripe, yin and yang will be in harmony, and the wind and rain will become a festival, and the people will be sick. " (1) the account said that Zhuan Xu era has a special "fire" office, responsible for observing fire (that is, antares) the bright red star to judge the season. Later, due to the clan war, the observation stopped, and as a result, the season was out of control, causing great confusion. In the era of Emperor Yao, he regained his position of "fire", which made him behave appropriately, with good weather and a peaceful life. The "Nine Years of" xianggong "in Zuo Zhuan confirms this legend:" The fire of Tang Tao's family lived in Shangqiu, but when did the fire worship? " Tao is the emperor Yao.
Yao not only restored the fire, but also appointed an official, and ordered Uncle Xi, Uncle He and Uncle He to observe the sun, moon and stars in all directions to inform the farming season. "Yao Dian of Shangshu" said: "Respect the sky as the sun, the moon and the stars, and respect others as yourself. This is He's command. It is divided into Xi Zhong, Zhai Yi, Yueyan Valley, Yin Bin's departure from Japan, Pingzhi Zuo Dong, Star Bird's departure from Japan, Yin Zhongchun, ... Shen Ming's uncle Xi, who lives in the south, has equal status, and the south is correct, respecting the spark of Sun Yong and making midsummer. Life is divided into two parts, I live in the western soil, I say I am ignorant and have no valley, I am content with the sun, my rank is equal to the western soil, the stars are empty in the night, I am with Yin ... My life and uncle, my house is in the north, ............................................................................................. Although Yao Dian was not written in the Yao Dynasty (scholars think it was written at the beginning of the Warring States or earlier), it may remember something from earlier times. The four stars mentioned in this paper refer to different stars that reach the southern sky at dusk in different seasons. According to modern astronomy, the four stars of bird, fire, deficiency and dragon reach the southern sky at the vernal equinox, summer equinox and winter dusk in about 2000 BC, which is equivalent to the legendary Yao time. Therefore, the description of Yao Dian may be the situation of observing images and timing in ancient times.
As for the account of "there are six days in sixty, and the leap month is set at four o'clock", it shows the bud of the calendar. The establishment of the concepts of year, month and day is the basis of calendar. There are 366 days in a year, and the leap month is set up to coordinate the relationship between seasons and months, which is a great progress in astronomy. Oracle Bone Inscriptions in the Shang Dynasty has the name of December, and there are many records in March, which proves that "the leap month is fixed at four o'clock". It can be inferred from Oracle Bone Inscriptions's fragmentary records that the calendar of the Yin Dynasty has reached a fairly high level. Generally speaking, the day is recorded by branches, the month is recorded by the cycle of the rise and fall of the month, and the year is recorded by the cycle of cold and warm. There are 12 months in a year, and the months vary in size, with 30 days in the big month, 29 days in the small month, and 13 months in the leap year. This tradition of combining yin and yang calendars has been passed down to this day and has become an important feature of ancient calendars in China.
From the Yin Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, various vassal states used different calendars, including Xia, Yin, Zhou, Lu and Huang.
Their difference lies in the beginning of the year. In the calendar of Huangdi, Zhou and Lu, November (the second month) is the beginning of a year, which is called Jiazi; In the lunar calendar, December (ugly month) is the beginning of a year, which is called ugly; In the summer calendar, the first month (silver moon) is the beginning of a year, which is called Yin Jian. This is the theory of "three integrations". In addition, there is a calendar in Zhuan Xu that begins with a small moon (full moon), which is called Building the Sea. At present, the details of these calendars are not clear due to the lack of information.
The development of astronomical calendar is based on astronomical observation, and the astronomical observation records in ancient China are recognized as the oldest and most systematic in the world. The book "Summer" records the relationship between astronomical phenomena and phenology on a monthly basis, such as "In the first month, ... the first faint, bucket handle hangs down", "In April, you can see it at the south gate of the first faint", "In May, ..." The first faint fire "and so on. Although this book was written late, these astronomical records truly reflect the sky three or four thousand years ago. Guanzi also recorded that "bucket handle refers to the east, the world is spring, bucket handle guides it, the world is summer, bucket handle refers to the west, the world is autumn, bucket handle refers to the north, and the world is winter", which was an astronomical phenomenon three or four thousand years ago.
There are more astronomical records in Oracle Bone Inscriptions of Yin Ruins. There were four eclipses and five eclipses in BC 12 and 14 centuries, which is undoubtedly the earliest in the world. A new star appeared near the fire in Oracle Bone Inscriptions, which was more than 1000 years earlier than the first star (BC 134) recorded in ancient Greece (2nd century). There are a lot of records about the moon phase in the Western Zhou Dynasty in bronze inscriptions later than Oracle Bone Inscriptions, such as Chu Ji, Bi Sheng Ba, Bi Wang, Bi Dieba and so on. Although their meanings are still controversial, there is no doubt that they are related to the changes of the moon phases. The astronomical phenomena recorded in the Western Zhou Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn Period are also reflected in the Book of Songs. The famous poem July in Qi Feng records the relationship between astronomical phenomena and phenology, as well as the calendar knowledge at that time; The records of solar and lunar eclipses in Xiaoya at the turn of October aroused great interest of researchers. According to Chinese and foreign scholars' research, the solar eclipse and the next lunar eclipse in Xinmaoshuo in 10 may occur in September 6 and August of 2 1 year BC, but some people think it is165438+10.30 and/kloc-0.5 years BC. In The Book of Songs, there are names of 10 stars in 28 nights, as well as different names of Cowherd, Weaver Girl, Galaxy and Venus-Qi Ming and Chang Geng.
There are 37 eclipses in the Spring and Autumn Annals, most of which are reliable, which can be verified by modern calculation methods and provide reference for studying the earth's rotation. In the fourteenth year of Duke Wen of Lu (6 13 BC), the record of "a star falling on the Beidou" was the earliest record of Halley's comet, and in the seventh year of Duke Zhuang of Lu (687 BC), "in summer and April, the stars disappeared and the night was like rain" was the earliest record of the lyre meteor shower. During the Warring States Period, famous astronomers Gander and Shishen (Shishen House) identified and observed a large number of stars, determined the positions of 120 stars, and compiled the world's earliest catalogue-Shishen Catalogue. 1978, the complete names of 28 huts were found on the relics of the Warring States Period (444 BC) unearthed in Sui County, Hubei Province, which were associated with the Beidou image. These astronomical observations and achievements have attracted worldwide attention.
While astronomy and astronomy originated from primitive society, people also developed primitive religious consciousness about the sky and nature. After entering the slave society, great changes have taken place in religious thought and view of nature. The worship of natural gods has always been used by slave owners, and there has been a personalized god who dominates everything. The world's princes and ministers also hold heaven. People's confusion about astronomical phenomena, especially the appearance of abnormal astronomical phenomena, makes astrology come into being. This is why many ancient astronomical records are intertwined with astrological superstitions.
① Nanjing Museum: Excavation Report of Dadunzi Site in Hu Si Town, Pixian County, Jiangsu Province, Journal of Archaeology No.2, 1964.
(2) the book of songs, Daya, Gong Liu.
(1) the shiji almanac.
Section 3 Meteorology
Meteorology and astronomy were collectively called astronomy in ancient China, but they were different. Meteorological phenomena occur in the earth's atmosphere, while the research object of astronomy is outside the atmosphere. Meteorology is closely related to people's daily life and production activities. In order to survive, people have gone through the process of adapting to the natural climate, from caves to camps. They opened their doors to the south and sewed clothes with hides and leaves to resist the cold. Although people keep accumulating meteorological knowledge, they know nothing about its causes, which leads to the worship of natural gods. "Classic of Mountains and Seas" Huang Da's "Classic of the North" mentioned that it was rainy in the south because rain teacher Ying Long lived in the south, and drought in the north because Nu Wa, the god of drought, lived in the north of Chishui (now the great desert in the north of Hexi Corridor). The ancients believed that every storm, thunder and hail had its own gods, each performing its duties, and the legendary "Houyi Shooting Day" reflected people's good wishes to overcome the drought and heat.
Oracle bone inscriptions, a Shang dynasty, kept a large number of records of weather phenomena, and some names appeared, such as sunny, cloudy, hazy, foggy, rainbow, neon, frost, snow, thunder, electricity, rain, wind and hail. In the 3rd century BC/KLOC-Oracle Bone Inscriptions, there were meteorological records for ten consecutive days, which was one of the earliest meteorological records in the world and the predecessor of traditional meteorological records. There are different names for wind and rain in Oracle Bone Inscriptions. Rain includes heavy rain, light rain and Mao Mao rain (Mao Mao rain), and wind includes small wind and strong wind. Wind (sudden wind) and hurricane (strong wind) can be said to be the beginning of the concept of wind and rainfall classification.
During the Yin and Shang Dynasties, a large number of records of weather and phenology phenomena appeared, revealing the changes of China's climate in ancient and modern times. Phenological phenomena more than 2000 years ago were more than a week earlier than today. At that time, there were many bamboos, mulberry trees, rice and elephants growing in the Yellow River valley, which showed that the climate at that time was warmer and wetter than it is now. Ancient meteorological historical materials can be used as a reference for many modern research projects, so they are paid more and more attention.
In the stage of observing images and timing, in order to judge seasons by phenology, we often pay attention to observing meteorological changes, which promotes the understanding of meteorological laws. The phenological phenomena listed by month in Summer are also accompanied by meteorological conditions, such as "the fish is steep and icy in the first month, the weather is cold and headwind, the weather is cold and frosting", "the weather is cold and slightly dry in March", "the weather is drought in April" and "it is rainy in July" and so on. With the deepening of observation and the increase of perceptual knowledge, some weather forecast proverbs have been formed. "The Book of Songs Wind Wind" says: "The DPRK? In the west, worship rain "means that when you see a rainbow in the west at sunrise in the morning, it will rain soon." This proverb is still circulating among the people in our country. "Xiaoya's gradual stone" also remembers: "The moon rises at the end and pours down!" It is said that it is a long-term forecast to see the full moon entering Sotheby's, and it will rain in Qiu Meng, with continuous autumn rain. The words "the moon rises from the dustpan to raise sand" recorded in the Book of Ancient Wei have a similar meaning, which means that when the full moon enters the dustpan, it enters a windy spring and the dust is flying. The "clouds, rain, snow, fog, fog" in Xiaoya New Nanshan indicates that dark clouds are gathering and heavy snow is coming.
The understanding of meteorological laws makes people doubt the master of God, and then think about the causes and essence of storms and thunderstorms. Zhuangzi Tian Yun questioned the theory that wind is produced by the breath of God. "When the wind rises in the north, one is the west, the other is the east, and there is hesitation. Which is it? Who lives in nothingness and wears it? " It is pointed out that the wind is uncertain and everything blows. Who has nothing to brush? Song Yu's Feng Fu says: "Wind is the spirit of heaven and earth, and it flows downstream", and Guan Yinzi Jules says: "Qi is born by itself, if you shake the curtain, you will get the wind; if you don't shake it, you will get NO FENG フウカ", but it is still qi. Su Wenyin Yang Ying's Elephant Theory says: "Clear Yang is the sky, turbid Yin is the ground, the atmosphere is the cloud, the weather is the rain, the rain is the atmosphere, and the cloud is the weather." Here, the concepts of yin and yang and mutual transformation are used to describe the relationship between rain and clouds dialectically. Phenomenologically, rain falls from the sky, clouds rise from the ground, and rain is formed by clouds, so rain still comes from the ground in essence. The earth rises lightly, and the sky falls cloudy, turning into clouds and rain. Zhuangzi thought that "the intersection of Yin and Yang is thunder", and Yuan Mingbao in the Spring and Autumn Period said that "the excitation of Yin and Yang is electricity", and both thought that thunder and lightning was a phenomenon caused by the conflict between Yin and Yang. There is a famous saying in "Ceng Zi Tian Yuan": "Yin and Yang are in their respective positions, and they are quiet. Deviation is wind, everything is thunder, communication is electricity, chaos is fog, and calm is rain. If yang wins, it will disperse into rain and dew, while if yin wins, it will condense into frost and snow. Yang's exclusive gas is hail, and Yin's exclusive gas is graupel. Anyone who is hail or graupel will become a breath. " Under the academic atmosphere of the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, these accounts try to explain the weather phenomenon from the nature itself, which has a materialistic tendency.
4.