Gnomon Shadow Measurement was a fundamental astronomical measurement in ancient China, being used for cosmological construction. The theory of Gaitian in the Zhoubi suanjing is based on the erroneous assumption that the sun's shadow changes “one cun for one thousand li” as the gnomon moves north and south. A new explanation has been proposed for the source of "one cun for one thousand li” hypothesis, explaining it with the observation of the sun with a sighting tube. Since the Han Dynasty, discussions on the structure and size of heaven and earth have become important research topics for astronomers. From the 3rd to the 6th century, although the theory of Huntian replaced the theory of Gaitian and became mainstream, the hypothesis of "one cun for one thousand li" was also questioned and challenged, this hypothesis was still used in the cosmological construction of the Huntian theory, betraying the contradictory attitude of astronomers on the issue of Gnomon shadow measurement. It was not until the Tang Dynasty when the astronomer Yi Xing conducted large-scale meridian measurements, linking the height of the North Pole with the length of the meridian, that the fallacy of "one cun for one thousand li" was finally eliminated.

This paper presents an exposition of the notion of the “spontaneous materialism of the ancients” as highlighted and described in the introductory chapters of various philosophy handbooks edited by the Institute of Philosophy of the USSR Academy of Sciences published in the 1950’s and 1960’s.
The term “spontaneous materialism” was used by Soviet scholars of the period to describe particularly the early philosophical ideas of the Ionian philosophers namely Thales, Anaximander and Anaximenes but is not limited to them.
In an attempt to emphasize the transversality of materialist philosophy, soviet scholars present as parallels certain trends of the ancient Indian and Chinese thoughts.
Specifically, the Charvaka school of Indian philosophy is often presented as a materialist school while in ancient Chinese philosophy materialist tendencies are traced in the Mohists, a philosophical school during the Warring States period and in Chinese thinkers influenced by Daoist and Confucian ideas.
The scope of this paper is twofold: (i) we argue that although soviet scholars are motivated by the necessity to showcase a body of thought transversing cultural borders as a precursor to Marxist philosophy, they offer genuine insights into the human understanding of the world and its origins beyond the dominant western narrative.
(ii) we discuss that although the notion of the "spontaneous materialism of the ancients" may not fully account for the complexity and diversity of these ancient currents of thought, by revisiting these philosophical traditions, we can gain a deeper understanding of the rich intellectual heritage of humanity in its multiplicity.