29 May 2025 The Future is the Product of the Past

Researchers find the earliest record of aurora in old Chinese documents

Researchers have found the oldest known reference to a candidate aurora in a celestial event, described in an ancient Chinese text (the Chinese Bamboo Annals) dated around the 10th century BCE.

An event described in the Chinese Bamboo Annals is considered at almost 3,000 years old, this would be the earliest account of such an event whose date might be established. Such a discovery could be of scientific, as well as historical value, since the location of the source implies a particularly powerful geomagnetic storm.

From early stories through 299 BCE, the Bamboo Annals describe the story of China’s development. The Annals were buried for about 600 years until being unearthed in the third century CE, along with several other classic texts. One section alludes to a fascinating celestial object in the north sky.

An event described in the Chinese Bamboo Annals is considered by some a description of a bright aurora. If so, at almost 3,000 years old, this would be the earliest account of such an event whose date might be established. Such a discovery could be of scientific, as well as historical value, since the location of the source implies a particularly powerful geomagnetic storm.

The Bamboo Annals tell the story of China’s development from early legends to 299 BCE. The Annals were buried in a tomb for almost 600 years, and rediscovered, along with several other classic texts, in the third century CE. One portion refers to an object of great interest in the north sky.

Dr. Marinus van der Sluijs of the University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archeology and Anthropology and Dr. Hisashi Hayakawa of Nagoya University have analyzed this text in Advances in Space Research. They conclude that not only is this probably a description of an aurora, but they can identify the place and two possible dates at which it was observed.

Van der Sluijs and Hayakawa claim the aurora occurred in either 977 or 957 BCE, in each case plus or minus one year, based on references to it being seen in either the 19th or final year of the reign of King Zhāo. If they’re right, this predates the previous oldest accounts of auroral activity by about 300 years.

“We have located the observational site around Hàojīng (N34°14′, E108°46′),” they write. Although the north magnetic pole was considerably closer to China in the 10th century BCE than it is now, this would still be almost 40 degrees from the pole. Only a major outburst on the Sun would produce something bright enough to be visible at that distance from a pole. An aurora matching the description in Hàojīng would not be unprecedented, but it would be rare – which is presumably why it was thought worth recording.

Solar storms interacting with the atmosphere produces distinctive radioactive isotopes. Studies of their concentration in sediments indicate a major lull in solar activity, similar to the 17th century Maunder Minimum, between 810 and 720 BCE and sometimes known as the Grand Minimum. Likely descriptions of auroras start appearing in Assyrian and Babylonian texts not long after, along with a possible reference in the Bible.

If van der Sluijs and Hayakawa are right, the Bamboo Annals provides the only datable account we have from before the Grand Minimum. It could help us date the per-minimum timing of solar peaks, since isotopic measures only provide us with decadal activity levels for the era.

The account in the Bamboo Annals has been investigated for astronomical significance before, but some have interpreted it as referring to a comet, not an aurora. Even those who did think it referred to the polar lights have not previously been confident of date or location. Identification has also been confused because there are two versions of the Annals, which respectively refer to the event as a “fuzzy star” or a “five-colored light” in the northern sky. Van der Sluijs and Hayakawa consider the latter reference more authentic. The description has similarities to the ways other writers described bright auroras when they reached latitudes where they are rarely seen.

One of the only places in China you can see the northern lights today is Mohe, nicknamed “Chinas’ Arctic Town”. Bordering Russia, it’s so far north it’s the only place in China you can experience both the aurora borealis and the midnight sun phenomenon depending on the time of year.

Van der suijs has previously published a paper on rock art images proposed to represent depictions of auroras. However, while these almost certainly predate the Bamboo Annals, there is little prospect of dating them precisely, even if the interpretation is correct.

Cover Photo: Ollie Taylor

Related Articles

Medieval Love badge with the written “Love conquers all” discovered in Poland

18 February 2024

18 February 2024

Polish archaeologists have discovered a late medieval badge: a piece of tin shaped into a turtle dover and with the...

The mystery of the silver bracelets of Queen Hetepheres in her celebrated tomb at Giza solved

2 June 2023

2 June 2023

The discovery of silver bracelets in the tomb of Queen Hetepheres I, wife of Pharaoh Snofru and mother of Pharaoh...

New fortifications unearthed in Porsuk Mound excavations

11 August 2021

11 August 2021

In the excavations of Porsuk Mound, which is an important Hittite settlement and where traces of settlement remains can be...

Bronze Age Wedge Tomb Discovered on the Dingle Peninsula maybe Even Older

22 April 2021

22 April 2021

A wedge tomb recently discovered on the Dingle Peninsula of Ireland was described by archaeologists as “quite unusual”. Wedge tombs...

Archaeologists Discovered “Temple of the Emperors” in the Agora of the Ancient City of Nikopolis, Greece

30 May 2024

30 May 2024

The Greek Ministry of Culture declared that fresh discoveries had been made during archaeological excavations at the ancient Nikopolis Agora...

The impressive Statue of young Hercules unearthed in Philippi, Northern Greece

24 September 2022

24 September 2022

A larger-than-life youthful Hercules statue dating to the 2nd century A.D. have been found in the ancient city of Philippi...

Surprisingly High-Altitude Silk Road Cities Discovered in Uzbek Mountains

25 October 2024

25 October 2024

Archaeologists have discovered two lost medieval cities in the eastern mountains of Uzbekistan that were important hubs on the ancient...

Volunteer archaeologists discovered a 1900-year-old silver military decoration in Vindolanda

17 June 2023

17 June 2023

Volunteer archaeologists have discovered a 1900-year-old military decoration (Phalera) that was awarded to distinguished soldiers and troops in the Roman...

Excavations at Sheffield Castle Reveal the First Surviving Examples of 17th-Century Civil War Abatis

9 March 2025

9 March 2025

Excavations at Sheffield Castle, part of the Castlegate regeneration project by Sheffield City Council, have revealed the first known surviving...

New Research Reveals Previously Unknown Aspects of the Construction, Use, and Ritual Significance of a Neolithic Rondel Found in Poland

12 December 2024

12 December 2024

An archaeological excavation at Nowe Objezierze in north-western Poland has uncovered a rondel dating to around 4800 BC, offering new...

A coin of Queen Fastrada and Charlemagne found – First of its kind

8 May 2023

8 May 2023

A coin purchased by the Charlemagne Center in Aachen, Germany, bears the name of Queen Fastrada. This is the first...

Göbeklitepe Monolith will be Exhibited in the United Nations

15 May 2021

15 May 2021

A copy of one of the famous ruins of Göbeklitepe, known as the oldest temple in the world, will be...

Ancient objects found in Jerusalem could be hand grenades used 1000 years ago, New study says

27 April 2022

27 April 2022

New analysis into the residue inside ancient ceramic pots from 11th–12th century Jerusalem has found that they were potentially used...

Egypt opens King Djoser’s 4,500-year-old tomb after a 15-year restoration

15 September 2021

15 September 2021

Egypt on Tuesday showcased an ancient tomb structure belonging to the cemetery complex of King Djoser, a pharaoh who lived more than 4,500...

One Of The Largest And Most Significant Iron Age Hoards Ever Discovered In The UK Has Been Unveiled

26 March 2025

26 March 2025

In a remarkable archaeological breakthrough, the Melsonby Hoard has emerged as one of the most significant Iron Age discoveries in...