Research on the Astronomical Treatise of the Huainanzi (From the Perspective of the History of Mathematical Methods)

Author: Tao Lei
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-07-01
Features: This book is slightly revised based on my doctoral dissertation. When Mr. Li Xueqin gave me this topic, I was quite unfamiliar with the Tianwen section of the Huainanzi. When the preliminary draft of the dissertation came out after a year and a half, I didn’t expect to accomplish so much. There is absolutely no arrogance in this statement; I just feel fortunate. When reviewing the annotations and studies of predecessors on the Huainanzi, the Tianwen section was always brief. Without the timely publication and availability of a large number of unearthed documents, especially the Shifǎ and Zhoujiatai Qin Tomb Bamboo Slips from the Mawangdui site, this dissertation could not have reached this level. The completion of the dissertation also owes much to the research achievements of the following scholars: Qian Tang’s supplementary annotations on Tianwen, Wang Zhenduo’s research on the Tianwen earth plate, Xi Zexong’s study of the Wuxing Zhan from the Mawangdui bamboo slips, Chen Jiujin’s research on the Jupiter chronology, Li Ling’s study of the Thirty Hours bamboo slips from the Yinque Mountain, [French] Marc’s research on the Xingde from the Mawangdui bamboo slips, and Jiang Xiaoyuan’s comprehensive study of ancient calendars. I hereby express my respect for their work. The title of the dissertation was thought of only when it was nearing completion. Initially, I only wanted to clarify what kind of document the Tianwen section was—whether it was a summary of ancient knowledge or the expression of a single viewpoint. If it was a single viewpoint, what were the specific circumstances? However, as the research deepened, the mathematical nature of this document gradually became prominent, and this title emerged in time. The dissertation only accomplishes two-thirds of what I envisioned, with the remaining one-third, which addresses the "why" question, yet to be completed. It is one of the focal points of my current work. I hope that after the publication of this book, this issue can be resolved satisfactorily.
Additionally, there are many aspects of the dissertation that require further research and refinement. For example, the correspondence between the twelve divisions and the twenty-eight lunar mansions—the Han Shi records it as unique, or the result of a single calendar school? This also needs verification through more new materials.
The Wenwu (Cultural Relics) journal’s 2003 Issue 1 published a brief report on the excavation of Tomb No. 1 at Huxishan in Yuanling County. The tomb contained divination plates (shìpán) and Rishu (Daily Books). These divination plates differ from those discussed in this book but were also used for divination, similar to the Xingde discussed in Chapter 7 of this book. Below are my preliminary opinions on them, which are included with this book to share with fellow scholars.
The brief report describes the divination plates as follows: Two wooden divination plates, coated with black lacquer on the outside. The base is a square with rounded corners, placed above a circular rotating disc. The center has an axle hole, and around the circumference of the disc, there are eight rectangular needle-engraved frames evenly arranged on the rim of the base. The frames are outlined with vermilion, and inside them, the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches are inscribed in vermilion, arranged in a clockwise direction. Only one frame is clearly legible, while the others are blurred, suggesting that each frame contains 7–8, totaling 60 in a full circle. The base has a vermilion " #" symbol at its lower right corner, with similar symbols possibly present at the other three corners. The base also has symbols indicating directions. The base measures 19.7 cm in length and 0.9 cm in thickness, the rotating disc 12.3 cm in diameter and 0.45 cm in thickness, and the axle hole is 0.5 cm in diameter.
The Rishu. Most of the unearthed bamboo slips were Rishu. They were found in the northern compartment, alongside the Meishi Fang slips, scattered near the inner coffin’s upright board, pressed under the collapsed coffin lid. During excavation, they were collected into eight groups based on their scattered range, totaling 1,095 pieces (fragments). The complete slips number approximately 500. Each slip is 27 cm long and 0.8 cm wide, with two sets of stringing. The writing is either neat or cursive, and the slips are inscribed with the title Yan Shi Wu Sheng (also written as Yan Shi Wu Sheng), attributed to Yan Zhao, with a preface titled Hongtu Zhi Lun, neither of which appear in recorded literature. The distinguishing feature of these Rishu slips compared to previously unearthed Rishu is that they introduce some historical events from the late Qin and early Han periods to prove the correctness of their divinatory deductions. They provide relatively direct materials for studying the history and astronomy of that time.