Towards Skyscape Archaeology
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Towards Skyscape Archaeology
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Author : Fabio Silva
language : en
Publisher: Oxbow Books Limited
Release Date : 2015-06-30
Towards Skyscape Archaeology written by Fabio Silva and has been published by Oxbow Books Limited this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2015-06-30 with Social Science categories.
The study of beliefs and practices concerning the sky in the past and the uses to which people's understanding of the sky was put has long been of great interest to archaeologists and the wider public, but also controversial. After the dispute in the 1960s and 70s between archaeologists and astronomers over the intentionality behind identified high-precision alignments such as those at Stonehenge, the modern discipline of archaeoastronomy has found its feet deeply rooted in fieldwork and statistical tests for validity. However, archaeoastronomy, particularly its prehistoric variety, is currently at an impasse. Although thousands of structures have now been surveyed for celestial alignments, and statistical analyses do suggest some degree of intentionality in some cases, only very rarely have these been successfully interpreted and integrated into the archaeological narrative. Archaeoastronomers have failed to fully engage with what the alignments meant for prehistoric people and why they decided to incorporate them into their structures. This impasse is one of the reasons why archaeologists have for so long kept their distance. Towards Skyscape Archaeology looks at archaeoastronomical theory and method from the point of view of archaeology. It highlights current limitations and suggests what needs to be addressed and overcome for archaeoastronomy to produce knowledge of value to the broader academic community. It argues that archaeoastronomy needs to come closer to archaeology; it needs to become a skyscape archaeology, and proposes ways to achieve this. Using case studies from Peru, Scotland, Spain, Malta and Stonehenge, Fabio Silva challenges the orthodoxy and argues that with a different approach we can further our understanding of the cosmology and worldviews of the cultures and societies.
Visualising Skyscapes
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Author : Liz Henty
language : en
Publisher: Routledge
Release Date : 2019-08-19
Visualising Skyscapes written by Liz Henty and has been published by Routledge this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2019-08-19 with Social Science categories.
Above the land and its horizon lies the celestial sphere, that great dome of the sky which governs light and darkness, critical to life itself, yet its influence is often neglected in the archaeological narrative. Visualising Skyscapes captures a growing interest in the emerging field of skyscape archaeology. This powerful and innovative book returns the sky to its rightful place as a central consideration in archaeological thought and can be regarded as a handbook for further research. Bookended by a foreword by archaeologist Gabriel Cooney and an afterword by astronomer Andrew Newsam, its contents have a wide-reaching relevance for the fields of archaeology, anthropology, ethnography, archaeoastronomy, astronomy, heritage and cultural studies. The volume balances six chapters on theory and methodology which elaborate on the history and practice of the field with six other chapters focused on case studies from around the world. Visualising Skyscapes captures the growing interest in the multidisciplinary study of skyscapes and will be of interest to academics, students and the general public, as well as having international appeal. It is topical, timely and relevant to current debates and will hopefully stimulate further interest in this exciting and relatively new area of investigation. The contributions showcase the work of distinguished academics in the field and the chapters are all enhanced by numerous photographs and images.
From The Ground To The Sky
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Author : Fabio Silva; Liz Henty
language : en
Publisher:
Release Date : 2024-10-15
From The Ground To The Sky written by Fabio Silva; Liz Henty and has been published by this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2024-10-15 with categories.
Skyscapes
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Author : Fabio Silva
language : en
Publisher: Oxbow Books
Release Date : 2015-03-12
Skyscapes written by Fabio Silva and has been published by Oxbow Books this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2015-03-12 with Social Science categories.
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.
Exploring Archaeoastronomy
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Author : Liz Henty
language : en
Publisher: Oxbow Books
Release Date : 2022-03-24
Exploring Archaeoastronomy written by Liz Henty and has been published by Oxbow Books this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2022-03-24 with Social Science categories.
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 archaeoastronomy’s 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.
Solarizing The Moon Essays In Honour Of Lionel Sims
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Author : Fabio Silva
language : en
Publisher: Archaeopress Archaeology
Release Date : 2022-07-21
Solarizing The Moon Essays In Honour Of Lionel Sims written by Fabio Silva and has been published by Archaeopress Archaeology this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2022-07-21 with categories.
In the United Kingdom and Europe generally, the study of prehistoric monuments has long been the domain of archaeologists who excavate, measure, date and record them. From the 1960s onwards, archaeoastronomers provided an alternative picture based on their belief that the builders understood celestial movements and consequently enshrined astronomical alignments into their monuments. This picture was highly contested by most archaeologists and the two fields, archaeology and archaeoastronomy, have gone their separate ways. One of the scholars who broke this stalemate was Lionel Sims who, as an anthropologist, had a wealth of ethnographic material to draw from, allowing him to envision archaeoastronomy from a multidisciplinary perspective by combining a number of methodologies and approaches to examine how archaeoastronomy could deal with cultural complexity. Lionel Sims has produced an influential body of work which has challenged existing narratives about British prehistoric monuments and, equally importantly, provided innovative ways to approach and think about skyscapes. His work is not without controversy, but his unique take and thought-provoking conclusions have had an impact on the thinking of numerous students and collaborators. This festschrift gathers contributions from many of his colleagues who wish to honour and pay their respects to him. Following an introduction that discusses the legacy of his work, the volume delves deeper into three areas: Anthropology and Human Origins, Prehistory and Megalithic Monuments, and Theory. Its thirteen chapters contextualise Lionel's work and expand it in new and exciting directions for skyscape archaeology.
Archaeological Theory In The New Millennium
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Author : Oliver J. T. Harris
language : en
Publisher: Taylor & Francis
Release Date : 2017-06-26
Archaeological Theory In The New Millennium written by Oliver J. T. Harris and has been published by Taylor & Francis this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2017-06-26 with Social Science categories.
Archaeological Theory in the New Millennium provides an account of the changing world of archaeological theory and a challenge to more traditional narratives of archaeological thought. It charts the emergence of the new emphasis on relations as well as engaging with other current theoretical trends and the thinkers archaeologists regularly employ. Bringing together different strands of global archaeological theory and placing them in dialogue, the book explores the similarities and differences between different contemporary trends in theory while also highlighting potential strengths and weaknesses of different approaches. Written in a way to maximise its accessibility, in direct contrast to many of the sources on which it draws, Archaeological Theory in the New Millennium is an essential guide to cutting-edge theory for students and for professionals wishing to reacquaint themselves with this field.
Handbook Of Archaeoastronomy And Ethnoastronomy
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Author : Clive L.N. Ruggles
language : en
Publisher: Springer
Release Date : 2014-08-16
Handbook Of Archaeoastronomy And Ethnoastronomy written by Clive L.N. Ruggles and has been published by Springer this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2014-08-16 with Science categories.
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.
Sacred Landscapes Of Imperial China
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Author : Giulio Magli
language : en
Publisher: Springer
Release Date : 2021-06-16
Sacred Landscapes Of Imperial China written by Giulio Magli and has been published by Springer this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2021-06-16 with Science categories.
This book analyses the magnificent imperial necropolises of ancient China from the perspective of Archaeoastronomy, a science which takes into account the landscape in which ancient monuments are placed, focusing especially but not exclusively on the celestial aspects. The power of the Chinese emperors was based on the so-called Mandate of Heaven: the rulers were believed to act as intermediaries between the sky gods and the Earth, and consequently, the architecture of their tombs, starting from the world-famous mausoleum of the first emperor, was closely linked to the celestial cycles and to the cosmos. This relationship, however, also had to take into account various other factors and doctrines, first the Zhao-Mu doctrine in the Han period and later the various forms of Feng Shui. As a result, over the centuries, diverse sacred landscapes were constructed. Among the sites analysed in the book are the “pyramids” of Xi’an from the Han dynasty, the mountain tombs of the Tang dynasty, and the Ming and Qing imperial tombs. The book explains how considerations such as astronomical orientation and topographical orientation according to the principles of Feng Shui played a fundamental role at these sites.
The Astronomical Clock Of Strasbourg Cathedral
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Author : Günther Oestmann
language : en
Publisher: BRILL
Release Date : 2020-04-20
The Astronomical Clock Of Strasbourg Cathedral written by Günther Oestmann and has been published by BRILL this book supported file pdf, txt, epub, kindle and other format this book has been release on 2020-04-20 with History categories.
This book gives not only a detailed delineation of the artistic and technical components of the 1571–74 clock but it also presents new insighst in the astronomical indications and the underlying conceptional framework.