Time in Japan: The Calendar Class

[Bethetsu]

History and the calendar are closely related. In fact, the character for history 歴　reki is closely related to that for calendar 暦, and even can be used instead of it sometimes.

While you can do a lot of reading without knowing much about chronology, to do any actual work in the historical period, you have to understand how time was recorded. Further if you write, even informally as on the forum, it is a good idea to know something, so you don't make stupid errors. There are enough real problems in history without adding to them unnecessarily.

Little by little I am going to start some threads related to the calendar. I will include some questions. But as this is not a quiz, any number of people can answer. If you answer, please copy the question. But, decide whether you will answer and write your answer before seeing anyone else's answer. After you write your answer you can read other's answers and comment, but just make clear what part you did on your own,.

TOPIC LINKS

I am considering covering topics like the following:

The Chinese cycles
Year Dates Ancient and Modern
When? or, What's in a Date?
Reading and Writing Japanese Dates
Early recorded Dates
Era Names (nengô), Regnal Years, and Imperial Years
Western solar calendar
Calendar Procedures

The Chinese solar year
The lunar month
Intercalary months

Picture calendars


When I start a topic, I will include the link to it on this page.

All-carte

These are all characters for calendar that I have actually come across.

厤　曆 暦 历 厯　歷 歴

[lordameth]

This sounds great. Looking forward to future posts on the subject, and discussion.
_________________
My blog on Japanese art & history: http://chaari.wordpress.com

紫水晶殿 - The Amethyst Lord

[Bethetsu]

Short Bibliography

General
Calendar Converters:
Japanese <--> Western
http://web.me.com/meyer.eva/www.yukikurete.de/nengo_calc.htm

Chinese Cycles
http://wiki.samurai-archives.com/index.php?title=Sexegenary_cycle
Adam Smith,“The Chinese sexagenary cycle and the ritual origins of the calendar,” in: John M. Steele (ed.) Calendars and years II: Astronomy and time in the ancient and medieval world, Oxford: Oxbow Books (2010).
(Also at www.cangjie.info/public/papers/smith_2010_sexagenary.pdf)

Year Dates Ancient and Modern
Depuydt, Leo,“Calendar and Years in Ancient Egypt: The Soundness of Egyptian and West Asian Chronology in 1500-500 BC and the Consistency of the Egyptian 365-Day Wandering Year” in: John M. Steele (ed.) Calendars and years I: Astronomy and time in the Ancient Near East, Oxford: Oxbow Books (2007).

Breasted, James, Ancient Records of Egypt, Vol. 1, 1906.
Gardiner, Alan, Egyptian Grammar.
Gardiner, Alan, Egypt of the Pharaohs, 1964.
Yamada Masamichi, "The Eponymous years and Ninurta's Seal" in Essays on ancient Anatolia and Syria in the second and third millennium B.C. / edited by H.I.H. Prince Takahito Mikasa.. -- Harrassowitz, 1996.. -- (Bulletin of the Middle Eastern Culture Center in Japan ; vol. 9)
Part in in google Books. This is an example of a real nuts-and-bolts paper whose results will show up in some future Cambridge History of 2nd mil. Mesopotamia.