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James Hannam

Joined Atlas Obscura in 2023

Dr James Hannam is the author of The Globe: How the Earth became Round (Reaktion, London, 2023) and God’s Philosophers: How the Medieval World Laid the Foundations of Modern Science (Icon, London, 2009). He likes to write about the interactions of science, religion and philosophy, particularly in the ancient and medieval worlds. He can be found at the site formally known as Twitter as @drjameshannam and lives in Kent, England.
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Beijing's Forbidden City, built in the 15th century, was constructed based on cosmological principles that endured in China for millennia.

globes

A Square, Flat Earth and Round Heaven Meant the World to Ancient China

For millennia, this cosmological principle guided everything from calendars to urban planning.

By James Hannam

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