在六千年前的河南濮陽西水坡四五號墓的龍虎形貝塑，就有了基本的天文與四象的墓葬形式。其男性墓主人的北側布有蚌塑三角形圖案，緊接蚌塑三角形圖案的東側橫置兩根人的脛骨，所呈現的北斗圖案，連同東西兩宮的寓意，已經鋪陳一幅簡略的天文圖像。從漢唐墓葬中出現的天文圖與四靈的圖像，有著一脈相承傳衍的痕跡，雖在體系架構上更形完整，但在理念的本質基礎上卻是沒有太大改變的。 從漢唐墓葬所出土的文物資料檢視排比，漢唐四靈（四神）的組臺，大致可分為 4種組合。此外，在新莽時期開始流行五靈之說，《禮續，稽命徵》：古者以五靈配五方，龍木也，鳳火也，麟土也、白虎金也、神龜水也。所謂的五靈，是對應著當時的「五方」，增加了中央的「土」，麒麟則是代表中央的土。這也是後世所謂的五行。

The basic astronomical symbols of the Four Spirits can be found in "Dragon-tigershaped Shell Pile" in Tombs no. 4 and 5 in Xi-shui Po, Puyang, Henan, dating back to six thousand years ago. In the northern side of the male tomb owner, there was a shell triangle; on its eastern side, two human tibia bones were crossed to represent the Big Dipper, an asterism of seven stars. This astronomical imagery system can be found in later burial sites of Han and Tang dynasties. According to the archeological data, there were four combinations of these Four Spirits in Han and Tang burial sites. In the Xin Mang period, the theory of Five Spirits began to circulate. These Five Spirits correspond to the four cardinal directions plus the earth element of the center, represented by the imaginary animal Qiling. They formed the foundation for the theory of five elements in later times.