殷暦に關する二、三の問題

Abstract

Professor Tung Tso-pin has made an attempt to reconstruct the calendar of Yin. Since his premisses seem to contain some points open to question, each of them should be subjected to close examination. How Professor Tung has determined the first day of each month? The present author's view is this; the new moon and intercalation were put at the end of the year throughout the Yin dynasty. This is, the author believes, proved in the present study which is based on the examination of oracle bone inscriptions. These two devices seem to have been in use until the 6-7 centuries, B.C., from the beginning of the Chou period. In the present article the author introduces a new view on the problem of "sheng-pa" and "ssu-pa"; they represent the halves of the synodic month which is found to have been in use in ancient India. In short, the Yin had a still incomplete calendar, and the view of Professor Tung that they already used an institutionalized calendar is untenable.