• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.23 no.2
• /
• pp.65-71
• /
• 2008

It has been considered that 'exhausted eclipses' (日食旣) were total eclipses. However, modern precise calculations show that a significant fraction of such records are not realized to be total. Thus we doubt that the two concepts are equivalent. Here we investigate the meaning of 'exhausted eclipses' in the east-Asian history. We first find that eclipses of magnitude greater than 0.8 were regarded as 'exhausted eclipses' by a Korean astronomer of the 18th-century Choson dynasty. His notion was based upon the definition of 'exhausted eclipses' in the ephemerides of pre-modern Chinese dynasties. According to those ephemerides, the 'exhausted eclipses', whose magnitude is greater than 0.8, have the first contact at the western part of the solar disk and the fourth contact at the eastern part of the solar disk. A simple geometrical calculation shows that such cases really occur when the magnitude of eclipse is greater than 0.7. We pointed out that such an ancient definition might not be impractical for ancient astronomers, because the uncertainty of eclipse magnitude estimated by ancient Chinese ephemerides was 10% and the human sight has a spatial resolution of 1.2 arcmin, which is approximately one twentieth of the Sun's angular diameter.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
• /
• v.18 no.1
• /
• pp.33-48
• /
• 2005

The Rule of False Position is known as an arithmetical solution of algebraical equations. On the other hand, the Excess-Deficit Rule is an algorithm for calculating about excessive or deficient quantitative relations, which is found in the ancient eastern mathematical books, including the nine chapters on the mathematical arts. It is usually said that the origin of the Rule of False Position is the Excess-Deficit Rule in ancient Chinese mathematics. In relation to these facts, we pose two questions: - As many authors explain, the excess-deficit rule is a solution of simultaneous linear equations？ - Which relation is there between the two rules explicitly？ To answer these Questions, we consider the Rule of Single/Double False Position and research the Excess-Deficit Rule in some ancient mathematical books of Chosun Dynasty that was heavily affected by Chinese mathematics. And we pursue their historical traces in Egypt, Arab and Europe. As a result, we can make sure of the status of the Excess-Deficit Rule differing from the Rectangular Arrays(the solution of simultaneous linear equations) and identify the relation of the two rules: the application of the Excess-Deficit Rule including supposition in ancient Chinese mathematics corresponds to the Rule of Double False Position in western mathematics. In addition, we try to appreciate didactical value of the Rule of False Position which is apt to be considered as a historical by-product.

• Journal for History of Mathematics
• /
• v.13 no.1
• /
• pp.113-124
• /
• 2000

In this paper, I will investigate the cultural factors that determine the direction of development of early mathematics. And I will survey the philosophical background of Greek logical mathematics. Then, I will survey the distinctive features of Korean.Chinese ancient mathematics which hindered the development of mathematics.

• Journal of Conservation Science
• /
• v.36 no.1
• /
• pp.1-14
• /
• 2020

This study investigates the crystallinity distribution of ancient silk. Owing to the inherent multi-hierarchical structure of silk protein and the complicated structural changes that occur due to various burial environments, it is challenging but worthwhile to study ancient silk ageing behavior, which is based on the fact that ageing begins with a single fiber and then spreads to a whole fabric. Crystallinity was one of the most effective indicators found to reveal the ageing status of silk. Therefore, a synchrotron radiation-based X-ray diffraction(SR-XRD) method was employed to study the crystallinity distribution of single fibers of ancient silk unearthed from seven archaeological sites in China from historical periods including the warring states, Han dynasty, Song dynasty, and Ming dynasty. In comparison, the conventional X-ray diffraction method, which uses large amounts of samples, was also performed to determine the integral crystallinity of ancient silk. Thermal stability experiments by thermogravimetry(TG) as well as morphology observations by scanning electron microscopy(SEM) and optical microscopy(OM) all confirmed the deterioration of ancient silk. Moreover, the ageing mechanism of ancient silk was proposed with the assistance of an artificial ageing study. The results confirmed the effectiveness of SR-XRD as an ageing indicator, revealing the crystallinity distribution. This research could provide motivation to determine the deterioration status of ancient silk, and would also aid in explaining the fragility of ancient silk due to ageing.

• Korean Journal of Oriental Medicine
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.407-416
• /
• 1996

${\ulcorner}$Ilbonseogi${\lrcorner}$(edited A.D. 720) )was studied to investagate the medical and pharmaceutical exchange among ancient Korea, China and Japan. It seemed that Korean and Chinese traditional medicine was introduced to Japan through Korea. It was also shown in ${\ulcorner}$Ilbonseogi${\lrcorner}$ that Koreans who lived in china and Japan during that time seemed to hove active medical idea exchange. From various facts indicated in ${\ulcorner}$Ilbonseogi${\lrcorner}$, it was believed that Korean and Chinese traditional medicine was the basis for the foundation of Japanese traditional medicine.

• Proceedings of the Korean Institute of Navigation and Port Research Conference
• /
• 1997.10a
• /
• pp.185-202
• /
• 1997

Hull forms of ancient ships in Korea and China have been changed according to their voyages and routes. Therefore it is necessary for shipbuilding engineers to reestablish the ancient shipbuilding history, and to presume, restore and revive the lost cultural inheritances. We, however, do not have many historical documents or credible materials that can our ancestors' great shipbuilding techniques : at the same time we do not have paid much attention to the research on such documents and materials. This paper aims not only to study and compare shifting process of ancient ship's hull forms in Korea and China by making use of verifiable materials obtained in the process of excavating and restoring Shinan ancient ship. The results of comparing structural characteristics and hull forms of ancient ships in Korea and China and as follwing : (1) Korean ancient ships have transverse beam instead of frame . Judged from the bottomform, Korean ancient ships are grooved clinker type ships of flat bottom type, in which bottom planking is fixed by wooden bar. (2) Chinese ancient ships have transverse bulkhead structure instead of frame, Judged from the bottom form , Chinese ancient ships are rabetted clinker type ships of V-bottom type with a bar keel. The form , the position, and the size of a sail are closely related with the wind force. It is not only quite difficult to presume forms and sizes of ancient ships' sails precisely, but also impossible to come to an accurate conclusion wihtout much experience. Current 10-year-statistics of the wind force are used to obtain presumed routes of ancient ships in Korea and China. Conclusions obtained from the hull form , sail form and size , and mast height of Shinan ancient ship will provide credible data for sea trade routes and transformation capability, and wil be used for effective materials on the study of the shifting process of ancient ships in Korea and China.

• Journal of architectural history
• /
• v.26 no.3
• /
• pp.19-30
• /
• 2017

This paper studies the style emergence of Liujin Dougong in the ancient Chinese architecture. Dougong is the bracket set of the ancient Chinese wood structural architecture, and Liujin Dougong is one of the late styles of Chinese Dougong. It emerged in the period of the Ming Dynasty and has been installed in imperial palaces and imperial temples till the late period of the Qing Dynasty. Through the long term field survey and documental investigation, this research found out the some prototypes of Liujin Dougong among the earlier Xia-ang style Dougongs in the Song and Yuan Dynasty architectures. The symptom of style change appeared in the bracket composition. In the beginning, because Shuatou, the horizontal member just on Xia-ang was needed to be fixed to the inner main structure system, it was changed to the diagonal member and replaced Xia-ang. It brought continuous changes, the other horizontal members of Dougong also began to change to the diagonal form. And in accordance with these compositional changes of Dougong members, the decoration of inner parts also began to change. This paper analyzed every step of the compositional and decorative changes from Xia-ang Dougong style to Liujin Dougong style. In the addition, it also proposed the typical model of Qing style Liujin Dougong of which tail end is not placed on the beam and is just placed under the purlin, based on the its own research and analysis.

• Journal of East-Asian Urban History
• /
• v.2 no.1
• /
• pp.7-26
• /
• 2020

Urban pollution has been a problem in China since ancient times. In modern times, pollution was aggravated by industrialization and urbanization and became closely related to people's lives. Shanghai was the industrial center and the most urbanized place of modern China. As a price, it needed to face extremely serious urban pollution, and the treatment of this problem involved all aspects of social life. Noise pollution let foreigners to interpret the Chinese people and the city of Shanghai from a cultural perspective, and let Chinese residents to understand Shanghai and the nation from a civilized perspective. Pollution regulation made Shanghai the first city in modern China to implement overall pollution control and levy environmental protection fees. It also enabled the Chinese to gradually fight for their rights in urban governance. Urban pollution also brought business opportunities; in the highly commercial city of Shanghai, it promoted the development of some industries. The experience of urban pollution and its treatment prompted the people of Shanghai to rethink and re-recognize modern civilization, and also promoted the formation of Shanghai urban community.

• Publications of The Korean Astronomical Society
• /
• v.25 no.4
• /
• pp.155-165
• /
• 2010

In this study, we investigate the changes in the equatorial lodge degrees and polar distance degrees of determinative stars in the ancient Chinese archives. Confirmed is the fact that the coordinate values of those determinative stars defined in B.C. 104 had been used until the 8th century but were modified by the observations of Li Chunfeng (李淳風) in the early 7th century and Yixing (一行) in 723 A.D. The results of this study are compared with those in History of Chinese Astronomical Observations of Pan Nai. By applying the results of comtemporary astrodynamical calculations, their reliability is checked, and the corrected catalogues of Shi Shi (石氏) and Yixing are provided. The positional accuracy of those observations is estimated to be one degree.

• Journal of Ginseng Research
• /
• v.47 no.3
• /
• pp.359-365
• /
• 2023

Ginseng was the most revered of the herbs in ancient times in China, Korea, Japan, America. Ginseng was discovered over 5000 years ago in the mountains of Manchuria, China. References to ginseng are found in books dating back more than two millennia. It is revered by the Chinese people as it is considered a herb for everything use and therefore for a wide range of diseases (currently its Latin name derived from the Greek panacea, meanings, that is, for everything). So, it was used exclusively by the Chinese Emperor's, and they were willing to pay the price without problems. Increasing its fame, ginseng brought a flourishing international trade that allowed Korea to supply China with silk and medicines in exchange for wild ginseng and later along with what grows in America.