Archaeoastronomy: Introduction to the Science of Stars and Stones (Undergraduate Lecture Notes in Physics)

This book provides the first complete, easy to read, up-to-date account of the fascinating discipline of archaeoastronomy, in which the relationship between ancient constructions and the sky is studied in order to gain a better understanding of the ideas of the architects of the past and of their religious and symbolic worlds. The book is divided into three sections, the first of which explores the past relations between astronomy and people, power, the afterworld, architecture, and landscape. The fundamentals of archaeoastronomy are then addressed in detail, with coverage of the celestial coordinates; the apparent motion of the Sun, Moon, stars, and planets; observation of celestial bodies at the horizon; the use of astronomical software in archaeoastronomy; and current methods for making and analyzing measurements. The final section reviews what archaeoastronomy can now tell us about the nature and purpose of such sites and structures as Stonehenge, the Pyramids of Giza, Chichen Itza, the Campus Martius, and the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento. In addition, a set of exercises is provided that can be performed using non-commercial free software, e.g., Google Earth or Stellarium, and will equip readers to conduct their own research. Readers will find the book an ideal introduction to what has become a wide-ranging multidisciplinary science. -- Back cover. This is a second edition of a textbook that provides the first comprehensive, easy-to-read, and up-to-date account of the fascinating discipline of archaeoastronomy, in which the relationship between ancient constructions and the sky is studied in order to gain a better understanding of the ideas of the architects of the past and of their religious and symbolic worlds. The book is divided into three sections, the first of which explores the past relations between astronomy and people, power, the afterworld, architecture, and landscape. The second part then discusses in detail the fundamentals of archaeoastronomy, including the celestial coordinates; the apparent motion of the sun, moon, stars, and planets; observation of celestial bodies at the horizon; the use of astronomical software in archaeoastronomy; and current methods for making and analyzing measurements. The final section reviews what archaeoastronomy can now tell us about the nature and purpose of such sites and structures as Stonehenge, the Pyramids of Giza, Chichen Itza, the Angkor Temples, the Campus Martius, and the Valley of the Temples of Agrigento. In addition, it provides a set of exercises that can be performed using non-commercial free software, e.g., Google Earth and Stellarium, and that will equip readers to conduct their own research. This new edition features a completely new chapter on archaeoastronomy in Asia and an augmented reality framework, which on the one hand enhances the didactic value of the book using direct links to the relevant sections of the authors MOOC (online) lessons and, on the other, allows readers to directly experience albeit virtually many of the spectacular archaeological sites described in the book. This is an ideal introduction to what has become a wide-ranging multidisciplinary science. Front Matter....Pages i-xiii Front Matter....Pages 1-1 Astronomy with the Naked Eye....Pages 3-28 Acquiring Data....Pages 29-39 Data Analysis....Pages 41-50 Front Matter....Pages 51-51 Astronomy and Architecture at the Roots of Civilization....Pages 53-74 Astronomy, Power, and Landscapes of Power....Pages 75-99 The Scientific Foundations of Archaeoastronomy....Pages 101-122 Front Matter....Pages 123-123 Megalithic Cultures of the Mediterranean....Pages 125-154 Ancient Egypt....Pages 155-182 Pre-columbian Cultures....Pages 183-218 The Classical World....Pages 219-242 Back Matter....Pages 243-246 Part I. Methods. 1. Astronomy with the naked eye 2. Acquiring data 3. Data analysis Part II. Ideas. 4. Astronomy and architecture at the roots of civilization 5. Astronomy, power, and landscapes of power 6. The scientific foundations of archaeoastronomy Part III. Places. 7. Megalithic cultures of the Mediterranean 8. Ancient Egypt 9. Pre-columbian cultures 10. The classical world.