000 03731nam a22004695i 4500
001 978-1-4419-7624-6
003 DE-He213
005 20140220083724.0
007 cr nn 008mamaa
008 110215s2011 xxu| s |||| 0|eng d
020 _a9781441976246
_9978-1-4419-7624-6
024 7 _a10.1007/978-1-4419-7624-6
_2doi
050 4 _aQB1-991
050 4 _aQB460-466
050 4 _aQB980-991
072 7 _aPGC
_2bicssc
072 7 _aSCI004000
_2bisacsh
072 7 _aSCI005000
_2bisacsh
082 0 4 _a520
_223
100 1 _aKelley, David H.
_eauthor.
245 1 0 _aExploring Ancient Skies
_h[electronic resource] :
_bA Survey of Ancient and Cultural Astronomy /
_cby David H. Kelley, Eugene F. Milone.
264 1 _aNew York, NY :
_bSpringer New York,
_c2011.
300 _aXXV, 614p. 400 illus., 8 illus. in color.
_bonline resource.
336 _atext
_btxt
_2rdacontent
337 _acomputer
_bc
_2rdamedia
338 _aonline resource
_bcr
_2rdacarrier
347 _atext file
_bPDF
_2rda
505 0 _aForeword -- Preface -- Acknowledgements -- List of Illustrations -- Part I - Astronomical Background -- 1. Historical Perspectives -- 2. Principal Features of the Sky -- 3. Observational Methods and Problems -- 4. Time and the Calendar -- 5. Transient Phenomena -- Part II - Astronomy in Cultures -- 6. Paleolithic and Neolithic Cultures -- 7. Antecedents of the Western Tradition -- 8. African Cultures -- 9. Indo-Iranian Cultures -- 10. China, Korea, and Japan -- 11. Oceanic Cultures -- 12. Mesoamerica -- 13. America North of Mexico -- 14. South American Cultures -- 15. The Descent of the Gods and the Purposes of Ancient Astronomy -- Appendices -- A. Archaeoastronomy Tools -- B. Modern Star Charts -- C. Sample Exercises and Problems -- D. Mayan Calendar Progression: A Sample -- References and Bibliography -- Index.
520 _aExploring Ancient Skies brings together the methods of archaeology and the insights of modern astronomy to explore the science of astronomy as it was practiced in various cultures prior to the invention of the telescope. The book reviews an enormous and growing body of literature on the cultures of the ancient Mediterranean, the Far East, and the New World (particularly Mesoamerica), putting the ancient astronomical materials into their archaeological and cultural contexts. The authors begin with an overview of the field and proceed to essential aspects of naked-eye astronomy, followed by an examination of specific cultures. The book concludes by taking into account the purposes of ancient astronomy: astrology, navigation, calendar regulation, and (not least) the understanding of our place and role in the universe. Skies are recreated to display critical events as they would have appeared to ancient observers—events such as the supernova of 1054 A.D., the "lion horoscope," and the Star of Bethlehem. Exploring Ancient Skies provides a comprehensive overview of the relationships between astronomy and other areas of human investigation. It will be useful as a reference for scholars and as a text for students in both astronomy and archaeology, and will be of compelling interest to readers who seek a broad understanding of our collective intellectual history.
650 0 _aPhysics.
650 0 _aAstronomy.
650 1 4 _aPhysics.
650 2 4 _aAstronomy, Astrophysics and Cosmology.
650 2 4 _aAstronomy, Observations and Techniques.
700 1 _aMilone, Eugene F.
_eauthor.
710 2 _aSpringerLink (Online service)
773 0 _tSpringer eBooks
776 0 8 _iPrinted edition:
_z9781441976239
856 4 0 _uhttp://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-7624-6
912 _aZDB-2-PHA
999 _c105817
_d105817