Download Astronomy in Ancient Cultures

A Flemish Tapestry from the 1500s AD depicting an
astronomer and others gazing at the heavens
The Early History of
Astronomy
What types of things can you see in the sky with
the naked eye?
These are the things ancient cultures could
observe, without the aid of technology! (The
Sun, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn,
Meteors, Comets, and Stars.)
Astronomy is the oldest science. There is
evidence of crude astronomy even in prehistoric
times.
Early astronomy was about observing the
motion of these celestial objects.
How could ancient astronomers tell the
difference between stars and planets?
Relatively speaking, stars remain at predictable
fixed points in the sky, but planets can move
larger distances over a much shorter period of
time.
Why is this true?
Because the planets are much, much closer to
us than the stars!
How did many ancient cultures explain it?
Many believed the planets were gods.
For example, Mercury, the Roman God of trade, profit, and commerce,
was depicted as a messenger, and called Hermes in Greek mythology.
Why would anybody want to study the lights
in the sky?
• To attempt to predict things
• To make a calendar
What types of things might you be able to
predict by carefully watching the sky?
• Seasons
• Tides
Why do people need a calendar?
• To know when to observe a ritual
• To anticipate a harvest or planting season
A portion of the ancient Mayan calendar, still in use today by some
remote villages in the Guatamalan highlands. The pictures (“glyphs”)
represent named days in the calendar’s cycle.
Calendars are usually solar (based on the
Sun’s cycle) or lunar (based on the Moon’s
cycle).
Some cultures have incorporated elements of
both of these types (and other types) into
their system.
For example, in our culture, the time periods
“day” and “year” are based on the Sun, while
the time period “month” is based on the
Moon.
Astronomy arose independently in many
areas around the Earth:
• Egypt, before 3,000 B.C.
• Mesopotamia, before 1,200 B.C.
• China, before 600 B.C.
• Greece, before 400 B.C.
• India, before 1 A.D.
In each area, different cultural patterns,
religious beliefs, and political influences
developed due to varying interpretations of
the meaning of celestial objects & motion.
The pyramids of Giza, Egypt, align with then-pole star Thubus, in Draco
Nabta playa, Egypt, built c. 7,000 B.C., marks the start of summer.
Stonehenge, England, built around 6,000 B.C., marks 1st day of summer.
Newgrange, Ireland, built around 3,000 B.C., tomb marks start of winter.
Newgrange, Ireland, built around 3,000 B.C., tomb marks start of winter.
Newgrange, Ireland, built around 3,000 B.C., tomb marks start of winter.
Newgrange, Ireland, built around 3,000 B.C., tomb marks start of winter.
Moai on Easter Is., c. 700 A.D. Astronomy connection?
Big Horn medicine wheel, Wyoming, c. 1,800 A.D.
All of these are examples of megaliths.
A megalith is a collection of stones, often
very large, arranged in such a way as to be
used for astronomy, timekeeping, religious
practices, etc.
Megaliths are important objects to study in
the field of archaeoastronomy.
Archaeoastronomy is the study of how
ancient cultures understood and used
celestial objects in their societies.