IS1402

Cultural astronomy explores humankind's perceptions and understanding of astronomical phenomena throughout human history and among all cultures. This course focuses on archaeoastronomy, a subfield that studies astronomy and celestial lore in ancient cultures, including topics such as their concepts of cosmos, cultural interpretations of the motion of celestial bodies, eclipse predictions, timekeeping and calendars, navigation, religion and ritual. Examples will be drawn from prehistoric and ancient world cultures, medieval and early modern Europe, India, China and the East, Africa and Oceania, with emphasis on the astronomic practices and knowledge in pre-Columbian and indigenous America through a combination of lectures and discussions, including students' presentations.