Discover the oldest observatory in China

Chinese archaeologists said they found the world's first observatory, some 4,100 years ago, in northern Shanxi province.

The ancient observatory is located in the old Taosi monument in Son Tay, older than the supposedly oldest observatory in Maya, Central America.

He Nu, a researcher at the Chinese Institute of Archeology, said the observatory was built at the end of the era of primitive society, which was used not only to observe astronomical phenomena but also to perform doubts. sacrifices .

The remaining trace of the observatory consists of a semicircle with a diameter of 40 m as the main observation platform and an outer circle with a diameter of 60 m. There are 13 stone columns, at least 4 m high, standing on the foundation of the first circle, creating 12 spaces in the middle.

" Ancient people observed the direction of the sun rising through the gap and distinguishing the seasons in the year ," He said.

To test the hypothesis, archaeologists took a year and a half to simulate the observation of the ancient people in the area. Surprisingly, the seasons found from observations are only 1-2 days apart from the season of the traditional Chinese calendar, which is still widely used in rural areas.

The Taosi relic, dating from 4,300 years ago, is located in Linfen city, Son Tay province, stretching over an area of ​​3 million m2. It is said to be the settlement of 5 famous dynasties in Chinese history (2,600 - 1,600 BC).

A historical document said that China had officials in charge of astronomical observations in the early 24th century BC. The discovery of the observatory in Taosi has confirmed this.

MT (according to Xinhua News Agency )