Articles
Archaeoastronomy
Archaeoastronomy is a unique branch of science that combines
two disciplines–archaeology and ancient astronomy.
By studying the astronomical traditions of various cultures,
scientists have made some amazing discoveries in places
as far apart as Stonehenge in Great Britain, the Mayan site
of Uxmal in Mesoamerica, and Greece.
For many ancient peoples, observations of
the heavens led to the development of calendars. Ancient calendars were quite
complex. Many cultures accepted that the solar year was 365 days long, but many
calendars were used. The Maya used not only a solar calendar, but a lunar
calendar of 260 days, among others. The ancient Greeks followed a lunar
calendar and a civic calendar, which may indicate that the lunar calendar was a
neutral choice, one that was accepted by all and which would offend none.
The calendars were not used only to track the current date.
They also served as a record of past events and an accurate
predictor of the future. The Mesoamerican cultures raised
calendars to an art form. Over centuries, they learned to
track and predict eclipses and comets–no mean feat
when you consider that some comets (Halley's Comet, to name
but one) have very long orbital periods. The comet may only
appear once every three generations, yet they observed it,
recorded it, and learned to predict its cycle.
Archaeoastronomy studies the alignment of
larger structures like pyramids, burial mounds, and even henges (Stonehenge is
a prime example). Using a compass or theodolite, each angle is carefully
measured. Once the initial measurements have been taken, the site is analyzed.
In Beijing, for example, the Forbidden City is built with
consideration for the Five Sacred Directions (North, South,
East, West, and Centre). The Emperor resides in the centre
of the city, and the world quite literally revolves around
him–literally and metaphorically. These early attempts
to impose order on a confusing world led to the Chinese
art of Feng Shui.
The heavens are constantly moving and shifting.
Over thousands of years, those changes add up. Scientists use a number of
methods to calculate the position of stars and moons, making it possible to
compare ancient structures to the ancient skies that inspired them.
Amun-Re's temple at Karnak in Egypt shows how archaeastronomy
has improved our understanding of ancient cultures. The
Great Temple included a long corridor, one that would be
illuminated by the midwinter sunrise–at other times
of the year, the lighting was limited. This created a valuable
monument to greatness, one that had hidden messages we are
only now beginning to understand.
The sun rising over Stonehenge at the 2005 Summer Solstice.
The rising sun
illuminates the inner chamber of Newgrange,
Ireland, only at the winter solstice.
Back to articles index.
|
