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School of Archaeology & Ancient History


Course AR3015

SAMPLE Lecture Notes (2003)



Photograph of La Malinche from Xochitecatl Copyright © Clive Ruggles, University of Leicester.

Seminar session 2

Aims of the session

The main aim, as with the first session, is to have a broad-based discussion focussing on issues of interpretation and explanation. The central question is: how best do we go about formulating sensible theories about the social context of astronomy in various social contexts around the world? The three groups of people will lead the discussion with short presentations in a format of their choosing, but there will be plenty of time for a debate to lead on from there. I hope to be feeding in and clarifying issues, but primarily I want to get you all thinking, so the floor is yours rather than mine and I aim to be doing as little talking as possible!

Groups and topics

Groups and topics for this session are as follows:

Group 1

Nick, Vicky, Sadie

Astronomy and conceptions of space and time

Group 2

Anna-Louise, Tom, Katie, Joanna

Astronomy and calendrical development

Group 3

Hannah, Jonathan, Daniel

Astronomy and sacred landscapes

Words of advice

All the topics are broad and thematic, and you could tackle them in a number of ways in order to raise key issues. Chapter 9 from Astronomy in Prehistoric Britain and Ireland should provide an adequate starting point for further reading in each case, and chapter 1 of Astronomies and Cultures should also be helpful. The following are some initial suggestions for suitable case studies, mainly from the Oxford 3 books (note the overlaps):

  1. Stephen McCluskey, "Space, time and the calendar in the traditional cultures of America", chapter 3 in Archaeoastronomy in the 1990s
    Joanna Broda, "Astronomical knowledge, calendrics and sacred geography in ancient Mesoamerica", chapter 9 in Astronomies and Cultures
  2. David Turton and Clive Ruggles, "Agreeing to disagree: the measurement of duration in a southwestern Ethiopian community", Current Anthropology, 19 (1978), 585–600.
    Stephen McCluskey, Astronomies and Cultures in Early Medieval Europe, Cambridge University Press, 1998 (see also chapter 4 in Astronomies and Cultures)
  3. Joanna Broda, "Astronomical knowledge, calendrics and sacred geography in ancient Mesoamerica", chapter 9 in Astronomies and Cultures
    Malville and Fritz, "Cosmos and Kings at Vijayanagara", chapter 6 in Astronomies and Cultures
    Brian Bauer and David Dearborn, Astronomy and Empire in the Ancient Andes, University of Texas Press, 1995

Then, as a final treat, Matt Parker will be doing a ten-minute presentation on positional astronomy -- the perfect revision aid for those who feel a little rusty about the basic astronomical concepts!

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