ARCHEOASTRONOMY

ARCHEOASTRONOMY
The term *Archeoastronomy* is derived from two words: ‘archaeology’ and ‘astronomy’. It is an
interdisciplinary field that studies how people in the past "have understood the phenomena in the
sky, how they used these phenomena and what role the sky played in their cultures".
Archeoastronomy is the branch of archaeology that deals with the apparent use by prehistoric
civilizations of astronomical techniques to establish the seasons or the cycle of the year,
especially as evidenced in the construction of megaliths and other ritual structures. The study of
Archeoastronomy involves the use of various methods such as archaeology, anthropology,
astronomy, statistics and probability, and history to uncover evidence of past practices.
ARCHAEOLOGY is the scientific study of material remains.
ASTRONOMY is a natural science that studies celestial objects and the phenomena that occur in
the cosmos.
Archeoastronomy includes both applied and ceremonial aspects of astronomy. The origin of
calendars, navigation systems, and the astronomical alignment of ancient architecture (the
Egyptian pyramids, Stonehenge, Mayan structures) are examples of applied astronomy. The role
of constellations in the formation of mythologies is an example of ceremonial astronomy.
 Ancient civilization developed calendars based on astronomical observations in order to

organized time for planting, harvesting and religious rituals. Tracking the seasons and
cycles of the moon and stars allowed them to plan their activities.
 Mythologies and folklore in many ancient featured constellations characters or omens.
 The use of astronomy for navigation.
WHY DO WE NEED TO STUDY ARCHEOASTRONOMY?

Archeoastronomy is important because it can help us understand how ancient cultures viewed
the sky and how they integrated it into their beliefs and practices. It can also provide insights into
humans have interacted with the cosmos throughout history, and how celestial events have
shaped societies across the world.
Archeoastronomy can help determine the purpose of various artifacts, such as the megalith
Stonehenge: its alignment suggests that its builders were interested in the position of the sun in
relation to the passage of the seasons.
e. FATHER OF ARCHEOASTRONOMY
Sir Joseph Norman Lockyer (1836–1920) is generally recognized as the Father of
Archeoastronomy for his works The Dawn of Astronomy (1894) and Stonehenge and other
British Stone Monuments (1906). The field gained popularity in the 1960s through the work of
U.S. astronomer Gerald Hawkins’ studies of lunar alignments at Stonehenge and Scottish
astronomer Alexander Thom’s work on the geometry of English stone circles.
why) are
examples of applied astronomy. The role of constellations in the formation of mythologies is an
THE SUN
-is a G-type main-sequence star. It is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a massive,
hot ball of plasma, and it is inflated and heated by energy produced by nuclear fusion reactions at
its core. It formed approximately 4.6 billion years ago.
DIAMETER: 1 392 680 KM (10x wider than earth)
MASS: 1.99 X 10 ^30 Kg
 Sun is composed of layers made up almost entirely of hydrogen and helium.

 5,778 degree C – surface
 15 M degree C- core
DEFINITIONS
PROMINIENCE -sometimes referred to as a filament, is a large plasma and magnetic field

structure extending outward from the Sun's surface, often in a loop shape.
SOLAR FLARE -is a relatively intense, localized emission of electromagnetic radiation in the
Sun's atmosphere. Flares occur in active regions and are often, but not always, accompanied by
coronal mass ejections, solar particle events, and other eruptive solar phenomena.
CORONAL HOLE -is a temporary region of relatively cool, less dense plasma in the solar
corona where the Sun's magnetic field extends into interplanetary space as an open field.
SUNSPOTS -are phenomena on the Sun's photosphere that appear as temporary spots that are
darker than the surrounding areas.

ARCHEOASTRONOMY

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ARCHEOASTRONOMY

 Ancient civilization developed calendars based on astronomical observations in order to

WHY DO WE NEED TO STUDY ARCHEOASTRONOMY?

examples of applied astronomy. The role of constellations in the formation of mythologies is an

 Sun is composed of layers made up almost entirely of hydrogen and helium.

PROMINIENCE -sometimes referred to as a filament, is a large plasma and magnetic field

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