Research Catalog

Title

Exploring ancient skies : an encyclopedic survey of archaeoastronomy / David H. Kelley, Eugene F. Milone ; foreword by Anthony F. Aveni.

Author

Kelley, David H.

Publication

New York : Springer, [2005], ©2005.

Items in the Library & Off-site

Details

Additional Authors

Milone, E. F., 1939-

Description

xxv, 612 pages : illustrations (some color), maps; 29 cm

Summary

"Exploring Ancient Skies brings together the methods of archaeology and the insights of modern astronomy to explore the science of astronomy as it was practiced in various cultures prior to the invention of the telescope. The book reviews an enormous and growing body of literature on the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean, the Far East, and the New World (particularly Mesoamerica), putting the ancient astronomical materials into their archaeological and cultural contexts." "Exploring Ancient Skies provides a comprehensive overview of the relationships between astronomy and other areas of human investigation. It will be useful as a reference for scholars and as a text for students in both astronomy and archaeology, and will be of compelling interest to readers who seek a broad understanding of our collective intellectual history."--BOOK JACKET.

Subject

• Astronomy, Ancient

Bibliography (note)

• Includes bibliographical references (p. 525-575) and index.

Contents

1. Historical perspectives -- 2. Principal features of the sky -- 3. Observational methods and problems -- 4. Time and the calendar -- 5. Transient phenomena -- 6. Paleolithic and Neolithic cultures -- 7. Antecedents of the Western tradition -- 8. African cultures -- 9. Indo-Iranian cultures -- 10. China, Korea, and Japan -- 11. Oceanic cultures -- 12. Mesoamerica -- 13. America north of Mexico -- 14. South American cultures -- 15. The descent of the gods and the purposes of ancient astronomy -- App. Archaeoastronomy tools -- App. Modern star charts -- App. Mayan calendar progression : a sample.

ISBN

0387953108 (alk. paper)

LCCN

2001032842

OCLC

• ocm46937593
• SCSB-5204839

Owning Institutions

Columbia University Libraries