ESHS/HSS Annual Meeting

Between Observation and Omen: Reconstructing the Historical Context of Medieval Chinese Star Maps

• In Event: Visualization and Material Cultures of the Heavens across Eurasia

English Abstract

This study examines several all-sky star maps from medieval China, which are believed to be among the earliest surviving examples in the world, though lacking precise dating. These maps share a common constellation system but differ in their methods of depiction as well as in the shapes and positions of the constellations. On one level, this report elucidates the reasons behind these variations and seeks to refine their chronological attribution by correlating the visual evidence with historical observational records and textual sources. On another level, it situates these maps within the broader tradition of celestial omenology, exploring the role of star maps in the ancient Chinese knowledge system and the significance of their formal and conceptual transformations in the history of astronomy. The study thus contributes to a more coherent historical narrative for what remains a fragmented field of research on Chinese star maps.

Author

• Boshun Yang, University of Science and Technology of China