Abstract
The connection between astronomy and daily life in ancient times—at least after the definitive establishment of sedentarian life—was far more complex than a simple understanding of natural cycles. We can be sure of this because the sky was linked to a fundamental mechanism of social dynamics: the management of power. To grasp the connection between astronomy and power, however, first we must make a detour to understand the concept of worldview.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.
Buying options
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Learn about institutional subscriptionsReferences
Belmonte, J.A., and Edwards, E.R. (2004) Megalithic astronomy of Easter Island: a reassessment Journal for the History of Astronomy Vol. 35, Part 4, No. 121, p. 421–433.
Broda, J. (1993). Astronomical knowledge, calendrics, and sacred geography in ancient Mesoamerica. In Ruggles, C. L. N., and Saunders, W. J. (eds.), Astronomies and Cultures, University Press of Colorado, Niwot, pp. 253–295.
Broda, J. (2000). Calendrics and ritual landscape atTeotihuacan: Themes of continuity in Mesoamerican cosmovision. In Carrasco, D., Jones, L., and Sessions, S. (eds.), Mesoamericàs Classic Heritage:From Teotihuacan to the Aztecs, University Press of Colorado, Boulder, pp. 397–432.
De Boer, J (2014) The Oracle at Delphi: The Pythia and the Pneuma, Intoxicating Gas Finds, and Hypotheses In Wexler, P. (ed) History of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Toxicology in Antiquity I. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
Devereux, P (2010) Sacred Geography: Deciphering Hidden Codes in the Landscape Gaia, London.
Dronfield, J.C. (1995) Subjective vision and the source of irish megalithic art, Antiquity 69, p.539–549.
Durkheim, Emile. 1965. The Elementary Forms of the Religious Life. New York: Free Press.
Eliade, M, (1959) The Sacred and the Profane: The Nature of Religion, London: Harcourt.
Eliade, M. (1964) Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy. Princeton: Princeton UP.
Eliade, M. (1971) The Myth of the Eternal Return: Or, Cosmos and History Bollingen, London.
Iwaniszewski, S. (1991) La Arqueologia y la Astronomia en Teotihuacan In broda, J. Arqueoastronomía y etnoastronomia en Mesoamerica, Univ. autonoma de Mexico, Mexico.
Krupp, E. C. (1997). Skywatchers, Shamans, and Kings, Wiley, New York.
Magli G (2009) Mysteries and Discoveries of Archaeoastronomy, Springer-Verlag, NY.
Millon, R., and Drewitt, B. (1975) Urbanization at Teotihuacan, University of Texas Press, Austin.
Richards, C. (1992). Barnhouse and Maeshowe. Current Archaeology 31:444–8.
Richards, C. (1996). Monuments As Landscape: Creating The Centre Of The World In Neolithic Orkney. World Archaeology 28.2: 190–208.
Schele, L., and Freidel, D. (1990). A Forest of Kings: The Untold Story of Ancient Maya, William Morrow, New York.
Sprajc, I. (2000). Astronomical alignments at Teotihuacan. Latin American Antiquity 11: 403–415.
Sprajc, Ivan (2001) Orientaciones astronómicas en la arquitectura prehispánica del centro de México. México: Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (Colección Científica 427).
Steele JM (2007) Celestial measurement in Babylonian astronomy. Annals Of Science 64, p. 293–325.
Turner V (1969) The Ritual Process: Structure and Anti-Structure, Chicago, Aldine Publishing Company.
Van Tilburg, J. (1994) Easter Island: Archeology, Ecology, and Culture. Washington: Smithsonian.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 2016 Springer International Publishing Switzerland
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Magli, G. (2016). Astronomy, Power, and Landscapes of Power. In: Archaeoastronomy. Undergraduate Lecture Notes in Physics. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22882-2_5
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-22882-2_5
Published:
Publisher Name: Springer, Cham
Print ISBN: 978-3-319-22881-5
Online ISBN: 978-3-319-22882-2
eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)