This ancient Chinese anatomical atlas changes what we know about acupuncture and medical history

Shaw, Vivien; Winder, Isabelle

Abstract

Opening paragraphs:
The accepted history of anatomy says that it was the ancient Greeks who mapped the human body for the first time. Galen, the “Father of Anatomy”, worked on animals, and wrote anatomy textbooks that lasted for the next 1,500 years. Modern anatomy started in the Renaissance with Andreas Vesalius, who challenged what had been handed down from Galen. He worked from human beings, and wrote the seminal “On the Fabric of the Human Body”.

Scientists from ancient China are never mentioned in this history of anatomy. But our new paper shows that the oldest surviving anatomical atlas actually comes from Han Dynasty China, and was written over 2,000 years ago. Our discovery changes both the history of medicine and our understanding of the basis for acupuncture – a key branch of Chinese medicine.

Citation

Shaw, V., & Winder, I. (2020). This ancient Chinese anatomical atlas changes what we know about acupuncture and medical history

• Online Publication Date: Sep 2, 2020
• Publication Date: Sep 2, 2020
• Deposit Date: Nov 23, 2023
• Publisher: Conversation Trust
• Public URL: https://hull-repository.worktribe.com/output/4448744
• Related Public URLs: https://theconversation.com/this-ancient-chinese-anatomical-atlas-changes-what-we-know-about-acupuncture-and-medical-history-140506