Download or read book Archaeoastronomy in the 1990s written by Clive L. N. Ruggles and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 388 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Exploring Archaeoastronomy written by Liz Henty and published by Oxbow Books. This book was released on 2022-04-30 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Archaeoastronomy and archaeology are two distinct fields of study which examine the cultural aspect of societies, but from different perspectives. Archaeoastronomy seeks to discover how the impact of the skyscape is materialized in culture, by alignments to celestial events or sky-based symbolism; yet by contrast, archaeology's approach examines all aspects of culture, but rarely considers the sky. Despite this omission, archaeology is the dominant discipline while archaeoastronomy is relegated to the sidelines. The reasons for archaeoastronomys marginalized status may be found by assessing its history. For such an exploration to be useful, archaeoastronomy cannot just be investigated in a vacuum but must be contextualized by exploring other contemporaneous developments, particularly in archaeology. On the periphery of both, there are various strands of esoteric thought and pseudoscientific theories which paint an alternative view of monumental remains and these also play a part in the background. The discipline of archaeology has had an unbroken lineage from the late 19th century to the present. On the other hand, archaeoastronomy has not been consistently titled, having adopted various different names such as alignment studies, orientation theory, astro-archaeology, megalithic science, archaeotopography, archaeoastronomy and cultural astronomy: names which depict variants of its methods and theory, sometimes in tandem with those of archaeology and sometimes in opposition. Similarly, its academic status has always been unclear so to bring it closer to archaeology there was a proposal in 2015 to integrate archaeoastronomy research with that of archaeology and call it skyscape archaeology. This volume will examine how all these different variants came about and consider archaeoastronomy's often troubled relationship with archaeology and its appropriation by esotericism to shed light on its position today.
Download or read book Mysteries and Discoveries of Archaeoastronomy written by Giulio Magli and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-04-09 with total page 476 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book is divided into two parts. In the first, the reader is taken on an ideal ‘world tour’ of many wonderful and enigmatic places in almost every continent, in search of traces of astronomical knowledge and lore of the sky. In the second part, Giulio Magli uses the elements presented in the tour to show that the fundamental idea which led to the construction of the astronomically-related giant monuments was the foundation of power, a foundation which was exploited by ‘replicating’ the sky. A possible interpretive model then emerges that is founded on the relationship the ancients had with “nature”, in the sense of everything that surrounded them, the cosmos. The numerous monumental astronomically aligned structures of the past then become interpretable as acts of will, expressions of power on the part of those who held it; the will to replicate the heavenly plane here on earth and to build sacred landscapes. Finally, having formulated his hypothesis, Professor Magli returns to visit one specific place in detail, searching for proof. This in-depth examination studies the most compelling, the most intensively studied, the most famous and, until recently, the most misunderstood sacred landscape on the planet - Giza, in Egypt. The archaeoastronomical analysis of the orientation of the Giza pyramids leads to the hypothesis that the pyramids of Cheops and Chephren belong to the same construction project.
Download or read book Archaeoastronomy written by Giulio Magli and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2020-09-28 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This is a second edition of a textbook that provides the first comprehensive, easy-to-read, and up-to-date account of the fascinating discipline of archaeoastronomy, in which the relationship between ancient constructions and the sky is studied in order to gain a better understanding of the ideas of the architects of the past and of their religious and symbolic worlds. The book is divided into three sections, the first of which explores the past relations between astronomy and people, power, the afterworld, architecture, and landscape. The second part then discusses in detail the fundamentals of archaeoastronomy, including the celestial coordinates; the apparent motion of the sun, moon, stars, and planets; observation of celestial bodies at the horizon; the use of astronomical software in archaeoastronomy; and current methods for making and analyzing measurements. The final section reviews what archaeoastronomy can now tell us about the nature and purpose of such sites and structures as Stonehenge, the Pyramids of Giza, Chichen Itza, the Angkor Temples, the Campus Martius, and the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento. In addition, it provides a set of exercises that can be performed using non-commercial free software, e.g., Google Earth and Stellarium, and that will equip readers to conduct their own research. This new edition features a completely new chapter on archaeoastronomy in Asia and an “augmented reality” framework, which on the one hand enhances the didactic value of the book using direct links to the relevant sections of the author’s MOOC (online) lessons and, on the other, allows readers to directly experience – albeit virtually –many of the spectacular archaeological sites described in the book. This is an ideal introduction to what has become a wide-ranging multidisciplinary science.
Download or read book Archaeoastronomy written by and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Archaeoastronomy and the Maya written by Gerardo Aldana y Villalobos and published by Oxbow Books. This book was released on 2014-05-30 with total page 177 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Archaeoastronomy and the Maya illustrates archaeoastronomical approaches to ancient Mayan cultural production. The book is contextualized through a history of archaeoastronomical investigations into Mayan sites, originating in the 19th century discovery of astronomical tables within hieroglyphic books. Early 20th century archaeological excavations revealed inscriptions carved into stone that also preserved astronomical records, along with architecture that was built to reflect astronomical orientations. These materials provided the basis of a growing professionalized archaeoastronomy, blossoming in the 1970s and expanding into recent years. The chapters here exemplify the advances made in the field during the early 21st century as well as the on-going diversity of approaches, presenting new perspectives and discoveries in ancient Mayan astronomy that result from recent studies of architectural alignments, codices, epigraphy, iconography, ethnography, and calendrics. More than just investigations of esoteric ancient sciences, studies of ancient Mayan astronomy have profoundly aided our understanding of Mayan worldviews. Concepts of time and space, meanings encoded in religious art, intentions underlying architectural alignments, and even methods of political legitimization are all illuminated through the study of Mayan astronomy.
Download or read book Exploring Ancient Skies written by David H. Kelley and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2005-12-06 with total page 623 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Exploring Ancient Skies brings together the methods of archaeology and the insights of modern astronomy to explore the science of astronomy as it was practiced in various cultures prior to the invention of the telescope. The book reviews an enormous and growing body of literature on the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean, the Far East, and the New World (particularly Mesoamerica), putting the ancient astronomical materials into their archaeological and cultural contexts. The authors begin with an overview of the field and proceed to essential aspects of naked-eye astronomy, followed by an examination of specific cultures. The book concludes by taking into account the purposes of ancient astronomy: astrology, navigation, calendar regulation, and (not least) the understanding of our place and role in the universe. Skies are recreated to display critical events as they would have appeared to ancient observers - events such as the supernova of 1054, the 'lion horoscope' or the 'Star of Bethlehem.' Exploring Ancient Skies provides a comprehensive overview of the relationships between astronomy and other areas of human investigation. It will be useful as a reference for scholars and students in both astronomy and archaeology, and will be of compelling interest to readers who seek a broad understanding of our collective intellectual history.
Download or read book Archaeoastronomy in the Roman World written by Giulio Magli and published by Springer. This book was released on 2019-03-27 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book explores the insights that Cultural Astronomy provides into the classical Roman world by unveiling the ways in which the Romans made use of their knowledge concerning the heavens, and by shedding new light on the interactions between astronomy and heritage in ancient Roman culture. Leading experts in the field present fascinating information on how and why the Romans referred to the sky when deciding upon the orientation of particular monuments, temples, tombs and even urban layouts. Attention is also devoted to questions of broader interest, such as the contribution that religious interpretation of the sky made in the assimilation of conquered peoples. When one considers astronomy in the Roman world it is customary to think of the work and models of Ptolemy, and perhaps the Julian calendar or even the sighting of the Star of Bethlehem. However, like many other peoples in antiquity, the Romans interacted with the heavens in deeper ways that exerted a profound influence on their culture. This book highlights the need to take this complexity into account in various areas of research and will appeal to all those who wish to learn more about the application of astronomy in the lives and architecture of the Romans.
Download or read book Encyclopaedia of the History of Science Technology and Medicine in Non Western Cultures written by Helaine Selin and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2008-03-12 with total page 2428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Here, at last, is the massively updated and augmented second edition of this landmark encyclopedia. It contains approximately 1000 entries dealing in depth with the history of the scientific, technological and medical accomplishments of cultures outside of the United States and Europe. The entries consist of fully updated articles together with hundreds of entirely new topics. This unique reference work includes intercultural articles on broad topics such as mathematics and astronomy as well as thoughtful philosophical articles on concepts and ideas related to the study of non-Western Science, such as rationality, objectivity, and method. You’ll also find material on religion and science, East and West, and magic and science.
Download or read book Astronomies and Cultures written by Clive L. N. Ruggles and published by Ocarina Books. This book was released on 1993 with total page 376 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Ten thematic articles illustrating the broad scope, diversity and cultural significance of contemporary studies in archaeoastronomy. Contents: The Study of Cultural Astronomy ( Clive Ruggles and Nicholas Saunders ); The Yao Dian and the Origins of Astronomy in China ( Chen Cheng-Yih and Xi Zezong ); The Riddle of Red Sirius: An Anthropological Perspective ( Roger Ceragioli ); Astronomies and Rituals at the Dawn of the Middle Ages ( Stephen McCluskey ); Folk Astronomy in the Service of Religion: The Case of Islam ( David King ); Cosmos and Kings at Vijayanagara ( John McKim Malville and John Fritz ); Medicine Wheel Astronomy ( David Vogt ); Venus-Regulated Warfare and Ritual Sacrifice in Mesoamerica ( John Carlson ); Astronomical Knowledge, Calendrics, and Sacred Geography in Ancient Mesoamerica ( Johanna Broda ); The Pleiades in Comparative Perspective: The Waiwai Shirkoimo and the Shipibo Huishmabo ( Peter G. Roe ).
Download or read book Theories of the World from Antiquity to the Copernican Revolution written by Michael J. Crowe and published by Courier Corporation. This book was released on 2013-04-09 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Revised edition re-creates the change from an earth- to a sun-centered conception of the solar system by focusing on an examination of the evidence available in 1615.
Download or read book Professor Challenger and his Lost Neolithic World The Compelling Story of Alexander Thom and British Archaeoastronomy written by Euan W. MacKie and published by Archaeopress Publishing Ltd. This book was released on 2021-02-04 with total page 158 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book combines the two great passions of the author’s life: reconstructing the Neolithic mind and constructively challenging consensus in his professional domain. Semi-autobiographical, it charts his investigation of Alexander Thom’s theories regarding the alignment of prehistoric monuments in the landscape across several key Neolithic sites.
Download or read book The Chimney Rock Archaeological Symposium written by and published by . This book was released on 1993 with total page 112 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Harmony and Symmetry Celestial regularities shaping human culture written by Gudrun Wolfschmidt and published by tredition. This book was released on 2020-12-29 with total page 682 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For the SEAC conference in Graz (2018) and for the Proceedings the motto "Harmony and symmetry - celestial regularities shaping human culture" was chosen. There were at least two strong reasons for this motto: First, the connection between astronomy and human culture has an extremely long tradition, and one of its absolute high points is the astronomer Johannes Kepler, who spent his entire life searching for the relationship between the movement of heavenly lights and ideas about harmonious structures and regular bodies. Kepler started his scientific career and authored his first book, the Mysterium cosmographicum, in Graz. Kepler argued in his first publication for the twelve-fold partition of the zodiac with arguments derived from the monochord, anticipating the procedure he developed in his Harmonices mundi. Five contributions deal with Kepler, including the harmony in musical theory. The second reason was the Eggenberg Castle. This palace, built for the nobleman Hans Ulrich von Eggenberg (1568-1634), is a remarkable piece of symmetry and harmony and an outstanding example of a strong connection between astronomy and culture. Seven contributions have the topic astronomy, astrology and architecture with the emphasis on astronomical orientation, symmetry and harmony in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. The Proceedings with ten chapters and 44 contributions range besides the mentioned "Middle Ages and beyond" and Johannes Kepler from Prehistoric Times, Bronze and Iron Age, Mythology and Ethnoastronomy, Babylonian Astronomy, Greek and Roman Astronomy, Meso- and South America, Middle East and Eastern Asia and Computational Astronomy. The celestial sphere, regarded as the sky of astronomy, as well as the heaven of divine numina, from Antiquity to Copernicus and Kepler was equated with symmetry, harmony, and beauty. Until today, this has been reflected in the structure of cultural creations, from architectural objects to musical forms.
Download or read book Skywatchers written by Anthony F. Aveni and published by University of Texas Press. This book was released on 2001-08-15 with total page 428 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Skywatchers of Ancient Mexico helped establish the field of archaeoastronomy, and it remains the standard introduction to this subject. Combining basic astronomy with archaeological and ethnological data, it presented a readable and entertaining synthesis of all that was known of ancient astronomy in the western hemisphere as of 1980. In this revised edition, Anthony Aveni draws on his own and others' discoveries of the past twenty years to bring the Skywatchers story up to the present. He offers new data and interpretations in many areas, including: The study of Mesoamerican time and calendrical systems and their unprecedented continuity in contemporary Mesoamerican culture The connections between Precolumbian religion, astrology, and scientific, quantitative astronomy The relationship between Highland Mexico and the world of the Maya and the state of Pan-American scientific practices The use of personal computer software for computing astronomical data With this updated information, Skywatchers will serve a new generation of general and scholarly readers and will be useful in courses on archaeoastronomy, astronomy, history of astronomy, history of science, anthropology, archaeology, and world religions.
Download or read book Skyscapes written by Fabio Silva and published by Oxbow Books. This book was released on 2015-03-12 with total page 165 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Eleven papers extend discussion of the role and importance of the landscape and the wider environment to past societies, and to the understanding and interpretation of their material remains, into consideration of the significance of the celestial environment: the skyscape. The role of the sky for past societies has been relegated to the fringes of archaeological discourse. Nevertheless archaeoastronomy has developed a new rigour in the last few decades and the evidence suggests that it can provide insights into the beliefs, practices and cosmologies of past societies. Skyscapes explores the current role of archaeoastronomical knowledge in archaeological discourse and how to integrate the two. It shows how it is not only possible but even desirable to look at the skyscape to shed further light on human societies. This is achieved by first exploring the historical relationship between archaeoastronomy and academia in general, and with archaeology in particular. The volume continues by presenting case-studies that either demonstrate how archaeoastronomical methodologies can add to our current understanding of past societies, their structures and beliefs, or how integrated approaches can raise new questions and even revolutionise current views of the past.
Download or read book Astronomical Traditions in Past Cultures written by European Society for Astronomy in Culture. Meeting and published by Ocarina Books. This book was released on 1996 with total page 208 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This volume is the proceedings of a conference held in Smolyan, Bulgaria in August-September 1993, which brought together European archaeoastronomers for the first time under the auspices of the European Society of Astronomy in Culture (SEAC). The various papers examine the relationship between archaeoastronomy, field methodology and ancient cosmology. Contributors include José Barrios, Vladimir Dermendjiev, Roslyn M. Frank, Stanis'aw Iwaniszewski, Vesselina Koleva, Arnold Lebeuf, Penka Muglova, Breen Murray, Clive Ruggles, Wolfhard Schlosser, Elbieta Siarkiewicz, Florin Stanescu, Alexei Stoev, and Francis Warther. The volume was originally published by the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, Sofia, Bulgaria.
