How did the ancients understand seasonal changes and phenological changes?
The ancient observatory at Taosi Ruins in Xiangfen County, Shanxi Province can give you the answer!
It is the earliest observatory in the world that has been discovered by archaeology so far, more than 4,000 years ago.
The discovery of the remains of the "Observation Tower" confirms the true historical background and social reality of the saying in "Shangshu·Yao Dian" that "the calendar resembles the sun, moon, and stars, and the time is given to people."
The observatory consists of 13 rammed earth pillars distributed in a semi-circle. The ancients used the slits of the earth pillars to observe the sunrise, and based on the sunlight shadows to infer the solar terms and arrange farming.
The wisdom of the ancestors is evident!
So far, the Taosi site has found a super-large city site of 2.8 million square meters, huge palaces, urban layouts, mysterious pottery inscriptions in Zhushu, and exquisite dragon-patterned pottery plates... A magnificent early national capital, suddenly before my eyes.
(Produced by Niu Ye Studio)