39. Chinese Bones

An ancient chronicle from the Chinese province of Lu, the birthplace of Confucius, cites many astronomical events. The original texts inscribed on bone have not survived, but the authenticity of preserved copies is firmly established.

Ch'un-ch'iu (Spring and Autumn Annals) and its supplement register 37 solar eclipses between 720 BC and 481 BC. Four of the eclipses could not have been seen in Lu. The other 33 records conform to the description of the eclipses computed by modern methods.