Course Summary
Explore the intersection of archaeology and astronomy and learn how ancient cultures used the stars to navigate, mark important events, and establish cultural identity.Key Learning Points
- Discover the significance of astronomical alignments in ancient structures and artifacts.
- Examine the role of astronomy in the development of human culture.
- Learn how to interpret celestial alignments in ancient structures and artifacts.
Related Topics for further study
Learning Outcomes
- Understand the significance of astronomical alignments in ancient structures and artifacts.
- Examine the role of astronomy in the development of human culture.
- Learn how to interpret celestial alignments in ancient structures and artifacts.
Prerequisites or good to have knowledge before taking this course
- No prior knowledge of archaeoastronomy is required.
- A basic understanding of astronomy and archaeology would be helpful.
Course Difficulty Level
IntermediateCourse Format
- Online
- Self-paced
Similar Courses
- Ancient Astronomy: Discovering the Universe in Antiquity
- The Science of the Solar System
Related Education Paths
Notable People in This Field
- Dr. Anthony Aveni
- Dr. Clive Ruggles
Related Books
Description
Archaeoastronomy is the “science of stars and stones”. It is an interdisciplinary science in between architecture, archaeology, and astronomy. It studies the relationships between the ancient monuments and the sky, in order to gain a better understanding of the ideas of the architects of the past and of their religious and symbolic world. The course provides the first complete, easy introduction to this fascinating discipline.
Outline
- Week 1
- Archaeoastronomy: the science of stars and stones
- The celestial coordinates and the apparent motion of the Sun
- The constellations and the apparent motion of the stars
- Precession and the reconstruction of ancient skies
- Sightseeing with an archaeoastronomer's eye
- Supplementary Course Text
- Astronomy with the naked eye: how the ancients saw the sky
- Week 2
- Astronomy and architecture: a very early connection
- Archaeoastronomy in action: hierophanies and sacred landscapes
- The places where Archaeoastronomy was born: Stonehenge
- The places where Archaeoastronomy was born: Newgrange
- Astronomy, power and architecture
- Week 3
- The stellar destiny of the Pharaohs
- The Great Pyramid and the stars
- The horizon of Khufu
- Karnak, Abu Simbel and the Egyptian calendar
- The Amarna heresy and the horizon of the Aten
- Ancient Egypt
- Week 4
- Maya astronomy and calendar
- Chichen Itza and the Serpent Equinox
- The Inca pillars of the Sun
- Macchu Picchu
- The Pre-Columbian world
- Week 5
- The first emperor and the Terracotta Army
- The pyramids of ancient China
- Angkor Wat
- Between sun and waters: the temples of the Khmer heartland
- Week 6
- Houses of the Gods: the Greek temples of Sicily
- Aosta and Augustus' power from the stars
- Astronomy and empire at the Pantheon in Rome
- The Classical world
- Astronomy insights
- Conclusions and perspectives
- Lunar phases
- The eclipses
- The change in the rising and setting points of the Moon
- The Moon in Archaeoastronomy
- Bibliography
- The planets visible with the naked eye
- The Motion of Venus
- Venus in Archaeoastronomy
- Bibliography
- The Earth's atmosphere
- Extincion and Thom's law
- Refraction and parallax
- Visual alignments
- The horizon formula
- Graphical tools
- Handling archaeoastronomical data
- The use of Probability in Archaeoastronomy
- Bibliography
- Astronomy insight
Summary of User Reviews
Learn about archaeoastronomy, the study of astronomical knowledge and practices of ancient cultures. This course provides a comprehensive overview of the subject and has received positive feedback from users. Many users have appreciated the course's engaging content, which is presented in an accessible and easy-to-follow format.Key Aspect Users Liked About This Course
Engaging content presented in an accessible and easy-to-follow formatPros from User Reviews
- The course provides a comprehensive overview of the subject
- The instructors are knowledgeable and engaging
- The course contains interesting and thought-provoking content
Cons from User Reviews
- Some users have found the course to be too basic
- The course could benefit from more interactive elements
- The quizzes and assignments can be challenging
Giulio Magli
4.6 Raiting
Archaeoastronomy
- 4.6
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Archaeoastronomy is the “science of stars and stones”. It is an interdisciplinary science in between architecture, archaeology, and astronomy. Week 1...
