Abstract
In 1995 archaeologists excavated an extraordinarily well-preserved Eastern Han tomb in the ancient Xinjiang oasis settlement of Niya 尼 雅.1 Buried by drifting sands since at least the third century, in Han times the silk route town of Niya was one of the most remote outposts of Chinese civilization. The clothing and accessories of the tomb occupant, who was Europoid, were in perfect condition. From the standpoint of Han astral beliefs, the most notable item is a multicolored silk brocade armguard on which the epigram wu xing chu dong fang li zhong guo 五 星出東方利中國 (“When the Five Planets appear in the east it is beneficial for China”) is woven into the fabric along with images of sun and moon, tiger, dragon, crane, peacock, and unicorn. One could hardly ask for more vivid proof of the pervasiveness of astrological thinking in Han times than this fashion statement from the period. The astral motif not only confirms that rare gatherings of the five visible planets held great significance in the popular mind, but also shows that such conceptions permeated all levels of society and reached the most far-flung outposts of the Han empire.2 This epigram itself recalls a statement in
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