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Ethnoastronomy --- Archaeoastronomy

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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 A.D., the "lion horoscope," and 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 as a text for students in both astronomy and archaeology, and will be of compelling interest to readers who seek a broad understanding of our collective intellectual history.

Archaeoastronomy. --- Astronomy. --- Astronomy, Ancient. --- Physics. --- Astronomy, Ancient --- Archaeoastronomy --- Astronomy & Astrophysics --- Physical Sciences & Mathematics --- Astrophysics --- Astronomy - General --- Ethnoastronomy. --- Cultural astronomy --- Folk astronomy --- Indigenous peoples --- Native astronomy --- Ancient astronomy --- Astronomy --- Astrophysics. --- Cosmology. --- Observations, Astronomical. --- Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology. --- Astronomy, Observations and Techniques. --- Observations. --- Ethnology --- Astronomy—Observations. --- Astronomical observations --- Observations, Astronomical --- Astronomical physics --- Cosmic physics --- Physics

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How human communities interpret what they perceive in the sky is vital in fulfilling humankind’s most basic need to comprehend the universe it inhabits, both from a modern scientific perspective and from countless other cultural standpoints, extending right back to early prehistory. Archaeoastronomy, which is concerned with cultural perceptions and understandings of astronomical phenomena, is a rich cross-disciplinary field. The central aim of “Handbook of Archaeoastronomy” is to provide a reliable source for theory, method, interpretation and best practices that will give a definitive picture of the state of the art research in this field for serious scholars regardless of the discipline(s) in which they are qualified. It will be equally suitable for those already contributing to the field and those interested in entering it. Also included are studies in ethnoastronomy, which is concerned with contemporary practices related to astronomy, particularly among modern indigenous societies. A major part of this MRW is comprised of a set of wide-ranging archaeoastronomical case studies both geographically and through time, stretching right back to Palaeolithic days, and also in terms of the types of human society and nature of their astronomical ideas and practices. However, these are chosen in order to best illuminate broader issues and themes, rather than to attempt, for example, to provide systematic coverage of recent ‘discoveries.’ Thematic articles cover general themes such as cosmologies, calendars, navigation, orientations and alignments, and ancient perceptions of space and time. They also highlight various aspects of the social context of astronomy (its relationship to social power, warfare, etc) and how we interpret astronomical practices within the framework of conceptual approaches. There are also discussions of broad issues such as ethnocentrism, nationalism, and astronomical dating. The “methods and practices” articles cover topics from field methodology and survey procedures to social theory, as well as providing broad definitions and explanations of key concepts. We are also including a number of “disciplinary perspectives” on approaches to archaeoastronomy written by leading figures in the constituent fields. These articles cover material that, generally speaking, would be familiar to graduates in the relevant discipline but, critically, not so to those with different backgrounds.

Physics. --- Astronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology. --- Archaeology. --- Regional and Cultural Studies. --- Human Geography. --- History and Philosophical Foundations of Physics. --- Astronomy. --- Regional planning. --- Physique --- Astronomie --- Aménagement du territoire --- Archéologie --- Archaeoastronomy --- Ethnoastronomy --- Astronomy & Astrophysics --- Physical Sciences & Mathematics --- Astronomy - General --- Astrophysics --- Cultural astronomy --- Folk astronomy --- Indigenous peoples --- Native astronomy --- Archeoastronomy --- Astroarchaeology --- Astronomy, Prehistoric --- Prehistoric astronomy --- Astronomy --- Culture --- Astrophysics. --- Cosmology. --- Human geography. --- Study and teaching. --- Anthropo-geography --- Anthropogeography --- Geographical distribution of humans --- Social geography --- Anthropology --- Geography --- Human ecology --- Archeology --- Auxiliary sciences of history --- History --- Antiquities --- Deism --- Metaphysics --- Astronomical physics --- Cosmic physics --- Physics --- Physical sciences --- Space sciences --- Cultural studies --- Natural philosophy --- Philosophy, Natural --- Dynamics --- Culture-Study and teaching. --- Culture—Study and teaching. --- Ethnology. --- Culture. --- Astronomy, Cosmology and Space Sciences. --- Regional Cultural Studies. --- Philosophical Foundations of Physics and Astronomy. --- Philosophy. --- Cultural sociology --- Sociology of culture --- Civilization --- Popular culture --- Cultural anthropology --- Ethnography --- Races of man --- Social anthropology --- Human beings --- Social aspects