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at the 2005 Summer Solstice ]]Archaeoastronomy (also spelled '''Archeoastronomy''') is the study of ancient or traditional astronomies in their cultural context, utilising Archaeological and Anthropological evidence. It is closely associated with sister disciplines Ethnoastronomy, the study of astronomical practice in contemporary societies and Historical Astronomy , the use of historical records of heavenly events to answer astronomical problems. Another similar discipline is History Of Astronomy which uses written records to evaluate prior astronomical traditions. It is most frequently mentioned with astronomical claims regarding Stonehenge or the Pyramids Of Egypt . HISTORY OF ARCHAEOASTRONOMY Archaeoastronomy is almost as old as archaeology itself. , 42-53. in Co., 212-6. However, Thom's analysis continued to pose a problem. A re-evaluation of Thom's fieldwork showed that his claims of high accuracy astronomy were not fully supported by the evidence. Nevertheless there was evidence of widespread interest in astronomy associated with megalithic sites. The response from archaeologists was tepid. A few archaeologists such as Euan MacKie accepted Thom’s conclusions and published new prehistories of BritainE. MacKie, ''Science and Society in Prehistoric Britain'', St Martin’s Press, 1977 , ISBN 023640041X. Until the early 1980s most archaeoastronomical research in the United Kingdom was concerned with establishing the existence astronomical alignments in prehistoric sites by Statistical means rather than the social practice of astronomy in ancient times. sites such as , pp. S1-S22. and the Historical records of the early Colonisers . This allowed New World archaeoastronomers to make claims for motives which in the Old World would have been mere speculation. The concentration on historical data led to some claims of high accuracy comparatively weak when compared to the statistically led investigations in Europe. This came to a head at a meeting sponsored by the , 1982 , ISBN 0521247314; D. C. Heggie (ed.), ''Archaeoastronomy in the Old World'', CUP , 1982 , ISBN 0521247349 . Nevertheless the conference was considered a success in bringing researchers together and Oxford conferences have continued every four or five years at locations around the world. The subsequent conferences have resulted in a move to more interdisciplinary approaches with researchers aiming to combine the contextuality of archaeological researchA.F. Aveni, ''World Archaeoastronomy'', CUP , 1989 , xi-xiii, ISBN 0521341809, which broadly describes the state of archaeoastronomy today. Rather than merely establishing the existence of ancient astronomies archaeoastronomers seek to explain why people would have an interest in the night sky. MAJOR TOPICS OF ARCHAEOASTRONOMICAL RESEARCH The Use of Calendars ''', 585-600. All the same, calendars appear to be an almost universal phenomenon in societies as they provide tools for the regulation of communal activities. An example of a non-agricultural calendar is the Mayan Tzolkin which is a cycle of 260 days. This count is based on an earlier calendar and is found throughout Mesoamerica. This formed part of a more comprehensive Maya Calendar which combined a series of astronomical observations and ritual cyclesA.F. Aveni, ''Empires of Time'', Basic Books, 1989 , ISBN 0465019501. Other peculiar calendars include ancient , 562-72. Myth and Cosmology drawn by Johannes Hevelius in 1690.]]Another motive for studying the Sky is to understand and explain the Universe . In pre-scientific times Myth was a tool for achieving this and the explanations, while not Scientific , are Cosmologies . The , ISBN 029270349X. In one season it will bisect the sky and in another bisect it in a Perpendicular fashion. The importance of observing cosmological factors is also seen on the other side of the world. The Forbidden City in Beijing is laid out to follow cosmic order though rather than observing four directions the Chinese saw five, North , South , East , West and Centre . The Forbidden City occupied the centre of ancient Beijing E.C. Krupp , ''Skywatchers, Shamans and Kings'', John Wiley and Sons, 1997 , 196-9, ISBN 0471329754. One approaches the Emperor from the south, thus placing him in front of the Circumpolar Stars . This creates the situation of the heavens revolving around the person of the Emperor. The Chinese cosmology is now better known through its export as Feng Shui . There is also much information about how the universe was thought to work stored in the mythology of the Constellation s. The Barasana of the Amazon plan part of their annual cycle based on observation of the stars. When their constellation of the Caterpillar-Jaguar falls they prepare to catch the pupating caterpillars of the forest as they fall from the treesM. Hoskin, ''The Cambridge Concise History of Astronomy'', CUP , 1999 , 15-6, ISBN 0521576008. This provides planning for food procurement at a time when hunger could otherwise be a problem. A more well-known source of constellation myth are the texts of the Greeks and Romans. The origin of their constellations remains a matter of continuing and occasionally fractious debate. Displays of Power is believed to have been designed as an astronomic clock by the Incas, while some have speculated about the site's possible Astrological role]]The most common popular image of archaeoastronomy is the expression of hidden knowledge and power. By using stellar symbolism one can make claims of heavenly power. By including celestial motifs in clothing it becomes possible for the wearer to make claims the power on Earth is drawn from above. It has been said that the Shield of , 15-6. In North America shields depicted in Comanche Petroglyphs appear to include Venus symbolism E.C. Krupp , ''Skywatchers, Shamans and Kings'', John Wiley and Sons, 1997 , 252-3, ISBN 0471329754. , 473-499, ISBN 0521333814. The length of the corridor down which sunlight would travel would have limited illumination at other times of the year. In a later period the Serapeum in Alexandria was also said to have contained a Solar alignment so that, on a specific sunrise, a shaft of light would pass across the lips of the statue of Serapis thus symbolising the Sun saluting the god Rufinus , The destruction of the Serapeum . The use of astronomy at Stonehenge continues to be a matter of vigorous discussion. ARCHAEOASTRONOMICAL ORGANISATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS There are currently two academic organisations for scholars of archaeoastronomy. ISAAC - the International Society for Archaeoastronomy and Astronomy in Culture was founded in 1995 and now sponsors the Oxford conferences and ''Archaeoastronomy – the Journal of Astronomy in Culture''. SEAC - the Société Européenne pour l’Astronomie dans la Culture is slightly older having been created in 1992 . This holds annual conferences in Europe and published refereed conference proceedings on an annual basis. Additionally the ''Journal for the History of Astronomy'' publishes many archaeoastronomical papers. For twenty-seven volumes it also published an annual supplement ''Archaeoastronomy''. REFERENCES SEE ALSO
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