A discovery in a remarkably preserved 2,000-year-old tomb in southwestern China includes a set of rectangular wooden tablets that may be part of an ancient celestial calendar. The find was reported by Live Science, referencing China News.
The tomb, dating roughly 2,200 years, belongs to a high-ranking individual and was uncovered in the Wulong district of Chongqing municipality. Inside, researchers recovered 23 wooden planks, each about 2.5 centimeters wide and 10 centimeters long, alongside some 600 other artifacts crafted from ceramics, copper, bronze, wood, bamboo, and lacquer. The pieces appear to have been originally connected, though their exact function remains a mystery.
The inscriptions on the plates suggest a link to a widely recognized calendar used in Chinese astrology. It is possible these tablets were used to mark specific years within the classic 60-year cycle. Similar practices are observed today at a Taoist temple in Suzhou, where such tablets continue to play a role in timekeeping and ritual.
The tomb also contains a written inventory listing every item entombed with the deceased, providing clues about its approximate age. The context places the tomb in the Western Han period, with later renovations under the Eastern Han dynasty, a phase often celebrated as a formative era for many Chinese traditions.
A separate note mentions historical connections to distant regions where different cultures practiced symbolic crafts, illustrating the broad tapestry of ancient Eurasian exchange. While the exact use of these artifacts remains under study, the discovery contributes to a growing understanding of how calendar systems and ceremonial objects were integrated into elite burial contexts during ancient China.