Tag Archives: archaeoastronomy

Blog 2: Ancient Mayan Astronomy

Posted on February 13, 2024 by Mackenna Guadagnoli

Thousands of years before telescopes and computers, the ancient Mayans had the ability to predict eclipses and track retrograde motion. They are some of the most advanced astronomers of the ancient world. Astronomy was a central part of Mayan culture. Calendars were based on the movements of the Sun, moon, and planets and festivals, rituals, and […] Continue reading →

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Ancient Egypt Switches from the 360 to 365-Day Year

Posted on February 6, 2023 by Europa

The other day, my friend told me about an Ancient Egyptian myth regarding the switch from the 360 to the 365-day calendar in Egypt. At the time, I just thought it was a cool story, but later realized that it was a perfect example of archaeoastronomy. Before 4200 BCE, the Ancient Egyptian calendar year was […] Continue reading →

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Nabta Playa

Posted on February 28, 2021 by adisonfields

Nabta Playa is the world’s first astronomical site, having been built at an estimated 7000 years ago.  For reference, this was when the Neolithic Revolution was occurring, and agriculture was first being practiced.  In order to assist with this, the Nabta Playa stone circle was built, about 700 miles south of the Great Pyramid of Giza inContinue reading “Nabta Playa” Continue reading →

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Newgrange

Posted on February 27, 2021 by bellagoodnight

When reading up on archaeoastronomy, I was immediately fascinated by Newgrange, a structure located in Ireland. This fascination was not only due to my slight obsession with Ireland, but also because of its age. It was built roughly around 3200 BC, meaning it is actually older than the Egyptian pyramids and Stonehenge! On the outside,Continue reading “Newgrange” Continue reading →

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Archaeoastronomy

Posted on February 17, 2021 by ben141414

Archaeoastronomy is the study of ancient astronomical practices, specifically how they “have understood the phenomena in the sky, how they used these phenomena and what role the sky played in their cultures.” Back in ancient times, there was obviously no technology, but people wanted to understand the natural world. They saw amazing sights (planets, stars,Continue reading “Archaeoastronomy” Continue reading →

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Ancient African Astronomy

Posted on February 8, 2019 by wermanmd

We’ve all heard that Stonehenge was a type of calendar or observatory that has been around longer than civilization. I did some digging to find other examples of ancient astronomy practices and I came across the following video: Nabta Playa video source. More information. This is an example of ancient people demonstrating an understanding of astronomy … Continue reading Ancient African Astronomy → Continue reading →

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Archaeoastronomy

Posted on February 12, 2018 by laurenegish

 Stonehenge The concept of time is something that is invaluable to humans. The passage of time brings with it changes in weather, seasons, rainfall, and daylight. Especially during the beginning of civilizations, it was important to understand how much time passed to keep track of the changing conditions. In order to keep track of the … Continue reading Archaeoastronomy → Continue reading →

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Archaeoastronomy

Posted on February 12, 2018 by laurenegish

 Stonehenge The concept of time is something that is invaluable to humans. The passage of time brings with it changes in weather, seasons, rainfall, and daylight. Especially during the beginning of civilizations, it was important to understand how much time passed to keep track of the changing conditions. In order to keep track of the … Continue reading Archaeoastronomy → Continue reading →

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The Comet Time Forgot… Until Now

Posted on April 27, 2017 by vmorehead0

A stone carving at a major archaeological site suggests a comet struck Earth thousands of years ago and started an ice age. Göbekli Tepe is an archaeological site located in modern-day Turkey.  Built before Stonehenge, it served as an ancient temple site and religious center where multiple people would gather, but it also seemed to have been an astronomy … Continue reading The Comet Time Forgot… Until Now Continue reading →

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Blog #2

Posted on March 1, 2017 by zhengastronomy

When you head outside at night to watch the stars and contemplate your own insignificance in the universe, you are partaking in a ritual that has spanned the length of all human existence. By watching the stars and planets in the sky, our ancestors were able to derive a great many advancements that we currently … Continue reading Blog #2 Continue reading →

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