英文摘要 |
The B5 foundation is ''工'' shaped. It is divided into three sections: north, center and south. The southern section contains two spoked wheels, positioned north and south, which are termed 'sexagesimal wheels' ganzhi lun. The smaller northern wheel, 3 meters in diameter, has 10 spokes, marking the 10 celestial sterns, tiangan. The larger southern wheel, 9 meters in diameter, has 12 spokes, marking the 12 terrestrial branches, dizhi. The two wheels are connected. The smaller one completes one revolution in 10 days, marking a decade called xun. Three revolutions mark one month. The larger wheel completes one revolution in 12 days, and the 60 days completed in five revolutions correspond to one full sexagesimal cycle. The ceaseless revolutions of the two wheels mark the time - hence, they are termed ganzhi jiri. The central section contains two juxtaposed rows of pillars running east to west and positioning nine meters apart. These pillars are termed 'lunar-phase pillars', yuexiang zhu. The eastern row has 8 pillars, and the western has 7 pillars. There is another pillar to the west of pillar 1 of the eastern row, thus making a total of 16 pillars. Returning through the sequence of the 16 pillars marks 30 days. All the pillars utilize both faces except pillars 1 and 30 which utilize only one face . Pillar 1 of the eastern row signifies the new moon, and pillar 8 signifies the first quarter, shangxian. Pillar 15 of the western row signifies the full moon. Counting back, pillar 22 indicates the third quarter xiaxian. Proceeding to the final markers, pillar 29 marks a short month, while pillar 30 marks a long month. A full cycle of these pillars marks a full month. Pillars 1 and 30, at the southern end of the two rows, termed Lunar Palace (Lunar Lodges) (yuegong), are also known as the Inner Lodges (neixiu). The pillars outside this 'palace' are termed Outer Lodges (waixiu). This structure is probably related to the origins of the 28 lunar lodges (constellations). A large white clay vessel (taoyou) at the side of pillar 3 was used for astronomical observation. The northern section contains a row with 7 tombs, by which we can reconstruct the positions of 7 gray clay vessels (taoyou). As these vessels were arranged in the form of the northern dipper from west to east, we term this arrangement the Northern Dipper vessel (you). Behind each vessel, there are either single or double wells. Water could thus be placed into the vessels whenever required. Astronomical observations could be made by observing the reflection in the water. Thus the rotation of the Northern Dipper could be calculated in order to calculate a year. Determining the correspondence of the stars and their terrestrial indicators was to be done on the ninth month of the agricultural calendar. This was the time of the Great Ancestral Sacrifice. Furthermore, residents at YH019 and YH020 observed the revolving wheels. Residents at YH061 and at X : H1 observed the lunar changes, and at 4 : H9 and YH034 residents observed the rotation of the dipper. At YH006 the residents observed divination, and the resident at X : H2 was 'dipper determinant' (zhiji dingdou). These individuals, together with the observers at the Shadow Measuring Platform (ceying tai) (in foundations B1 and B3) continuously worked at their observations by which to determine the calendar of the Yin dynasty. |