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Astronomy in Ancient Societies

Astronomy in Ancient Societies. Astronomy- the oldest of sciences. How did astronomical observations benefit ancient societies?. Keeping track of time and seasons for practical purposes, including agriculture for religious and ceremonial purposes Aid to navigation.

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Astronomy in Ancient Societies

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  1. Astronomy in Ancient Societies • Astronomy- the oldest of sciences

  2. How did astronomical observations benefit ancient societies? • Keeping track of time and seasons • for practical purposes, including agriculture • for religious and ceremonial purposes • Aid to navigation

  3. Days of week were named for the Sun, Moon, and visible planets.

  4. Africa • The earliest known written record is from central Africa and is made from animal bone etched with patterns that appear to be part of the lunar calendar, probably carved around 6500 BC. • Learned to predict weather with reasonable accuracy by making careful observations of the Moon.

  5. Africa • Ancient people of central Africa could predict seasons from the orientation of the crescent Moon.

  6. Egypt • The origins of our modern clock trace back to about 4,000 years ago in anient Egypt. • They divided both day and night into 12 equal parts. • For the night, Egyptians used star clocks which cataloged where particular stars are in the night sky at particular times of night and times of he year.

  7. This ancient Egyptian obelisk in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican in Rome stands 85 feet tall and weighs 331 tons. Shadows cast by the obelisks may have been used to tell time.

  8. EnglandStonehenge is one of the oldest standing man made structure and was used for marking the seasons.This structure was built in stages form about 3100B.C. to 1550B.C.

  9. MexicoThe Templo Mayor in Tebichtitlan(New Mexico City), served as a social and religious location for the Aztecs.Twin temples stood on a flat-topped, 150 foot high pyramid. Watching from the opposite side of the plaza, the Sun rose in the notch between the temples on the equinoxes.

  10. Ancient Structures and Arhaeoastronomy • The study of ancient structures in search of astronomical connections is called archaeastronomy. • How do we decide if a structure was actually used for astronomical purposes?

  11. The Big horn Medicine Wheel in Wyoming.

  12. Scotland: 4,000-year-old stone circle; Moon rises as shown here every 18.6 years.

  13. Peru: Lines and patterns, some aligned with stars. No one is sure of the purpose of these figures.

  14. Macchu Picchu, Peru: Structures aligned with sunrise at the solstices.

  15. France: Cave paintings from 18,000 B.C. may suggest knowledge of lunar phases (29 dots)

  16. South Pacific: Polynesians were very skilled in art of celestial navigation.

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