Demonstration of the Date-Counting Method of the Eight Festival Solar Calendar on the Jade Tablet from the Lingjiatan Site

In my paper, SHI YUNLI. THE ASTRONOMICAL MEANING OF SOME JADE ARTIFACTS UNEARTHED AT THE LINGJIATAN SITE. 1: THE JADE TORTOISE AND THE JADE TABLET [J]. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 2024, 27 (2): 245-260. 2025-02-11. 2025-12-26. sciengine.com/doi/10.3724/SP.J.1440-2807.2024.02.01 , I pointed out that the five pairs of round holes on the Jade Tablet’s two short sides may represent the five pairs of the horizontal positions of sunrise and sunset corresponding to the later Eight Festivals in the Chinese calendar,i.e. the Beginning of Spring, the Spring Equinox, the Beginning of Summer, the Summer Solstice, Beginning of Autumn, Autumn Equinox, Beginning of Winter, and Winter Solstice.

Together with the other twelve round holes on the two long sides of the same Tablet, they might have been used by the residents of the Lingjiatan site as a date-counting device, or a solar calendar, related to the Eight Festivals in a year. This video demonstrates how the dvice works.