袁州谯楼研究──我国现存最早的从事时间工作的地方天文台

RESEARCH ON THE DRUM-TOWER IN YUANZHOU PREFECTURE

从对有关袁州谯楼的历史文献调查中发现，该谯楼不但设置有一般的钟鼓楼中所具有的守时和报时设备，而且设置有天文仪器，建有观天台。从遗址调查中发现的确有可供观天用的台体。由此得知，袁州谯楼不但有一般的守时和报时功能，而且有一般谯楼所没有的测时功能。从而表明，袁州谯楼是一座古代专门从事时间工作的天文台。它也是现存我国最早的地方天文台。

The drum-tower in Yuanzhou Prefecture built in the Southern Tang Dynasty(937-975) Was only a time service station then.In the 12th year(1219)of Jiadingreign of the Southern Song Dynasty,Teng Qiangshu,the governor of Yuanzhou Prefscture,had this tower reconstructed and increased its equipment. He put a gnomon and its shadow template on the platform of the tower,So the water-clock of the drum-tower could be correct with the astronomical observations.In the late period of the Ming Dynasty, the drumtower was named Sky-Watching Observatory.Thus we think that it became an astronomical observatory in the Southern Song Dynasty,and it is the earliest existing local observatory for time service.