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Archaeoastronomy
  • Level Foundation
  • المدة 7 ساعات hours
  • الطبع بواسطة Politecnico di Milano
  • Offered by

عن

Archaeoastronomy is the “science of stars and stones”. It is an interdisciplinary science in between architecture, archaeology, and astronomy. It studies the relationships between the ancient monuments and the sky, in order to gain a better understanding of the ideas of the architects of the past and of their religious and symbolic world. The course provides the first complete, easy introduction to this fascinating discipline. During the course, many spectacular ancient sites of archaeology – such as Stonehenge in England, Giza and Karnak in Egypt, Chichen Itzá in the Yucatan, Macchu Picchu in Peru and the Pantheon in Rome – will be visited and the fascinating events occurring there in special days of the year (such as solstices, equinoxes, or the day of the foundation of Rome) will be shown and explained. The course also provides the necessary background on Astronomy with the naked eye and a general introduction to the role of Astronomy in religion and in the management of power among ancient cultures.

الوحدات

Introduction

    • 1 Videos
    • 1 Readings
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1 Videos

  • Archaeoastronomy: the science of stars and stones

1 Readings

  • Supplementary Course Text

Astronomy with the naked eye: how the ancients saw the sky

    • 4 Videos
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4 Videos

  • The celestial coordinates and the apparent motion of the Sun
  • The constellations and the apparent motion of the stars
  • Precession and the reconstruction of ancient skies
  • Sightseeing with an archaeoastronomer's eye

Test

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Astronomy with the naked eye: how the ancients saw the sky

Astronomy, power and architecture

    • 4 Videos
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4 Videos

  • Astronomy and architecture: a very early connection
  • Archaeoastronomy in action: hierophanies and sacred landscapes
  • The places where Archaeoastronomy was born: Stonehenge
  • The places where Archaeoastronomy was born: Newgrange

Test

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Astronomy, power and architecture

Ancient Egypt

    • 5 Videos
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5 Videos

  • The stellar destiny of the Pharaohs
  • The Great Pyramid and the stars
  • The horizon of Khufu
  • Karnak, Abu Simbel and the Egyptian calendar
  • The Amarna heresy and the horizon of the Aten

Test

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Ancient Egypt

The Pre-Columbian world

    • 4 Videos
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4 Videos

  • Maya astronomy and calendar
  • Chichen Itza and the Serpent Equinox
  • The Inca pillars of the Sun
  • Macchu Picchu

Test

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • The Pre-Columbian world

Archaeoastronomy in Asia

    • 4 Videos
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4 Videos

  • The first emperor and the Terracotta Army
  • The pyramids of ancient China
  • Angkor Wat
  • Between sun and waters: the temples of the Khmer heartland

Test

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Archaeoastronomy in Asia

The Classical world

    • 3 Videos
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3 Videos

  • Houses of the Gods: the Greek temples of Sicily
  • Aosta and Augustus' power from the stars
  • Astronomy and empire at the Pantheon in Rome

Test

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • The Classical world

The apparent motion of the Moon

    • 5 Readings
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5 Readings

  • Lunar phases
  • The eclipses
  • The change in the rising and setting points of the Moon
  • The Moon in Archaeoastronomy
  • Bibliography

The apparent motion of Venus

    • 4 Readings
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4 Readings

  • The planets visible with the naked eye
  • The Motion of Venus
  • Venus in Archaeoastronomy
  • Bibliography

Atmospheric effects on naked eye astronomy

    • 3 Readings
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3 Readings

  • The Earth's atmosphere
  • Extincion and Thom's law
  • Refraction and parallax

The reconstruction of visual alignments and the Horizon Formula

    • 2 Readings
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2 Readings

  • Visual alignments
  • The horizon formula

Data analysis in Archaeoastronomy

    • 4 Readings
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4 Readings

  • Graphical tools
  • Handling archaeoastronomical data
  • The use of Probability in Archaeoastronomy
  • Bibliography

Test

    • 1 Assignment
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1 Assignment

  • Astronomy insight

Conclusions and perspectives

    • 1 Videos
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1 Videos

  • Conclusions and perspectives

Auto Summary

"Archaeoastronomy: Exploring Ancient Monuments and the Sky" is an engaging interdisciplinary course that bridges architecture, archaeology, and astronomy. This comprehensive introduction to archaeoastronomy, often called the "science of stars and stones," delves into the connections between ancient structures and celestial events, offering insights into the symbolic and religious worldviews of historical architects. Led by Coursera, this foundation-level course spans 420 minutes and takes learners on a virtual tour of breathtaking archaeological sites such as Stonehenge, Giza, Karnak, Chichen Itzá, Macchu Picchu, and the Pantheon in Rome. Through these explorations, participants will witness and understand the significance of astronomical events like solstices, equinoxes, and historical dates such as the foundation of Rome. In addition to site visits, the course provides essential knowledge on observing astronomy with the naked eye and explores the pivotal role of astronomy in ancient religions and power structures. With flexible subscription options including Starter and Professional plans, this course is ideal for anyone interested in uncovering the celestial secrets of ancient monuments and enhancing their understanding of historical astronomy.

Giulio Magli
Instructor

Giulio Magli