Course Description
This course explores the study, use and meaning of astronomy in different human cultures with a special focus on non-western cultures. Students learn how different human cultures have understood and interpreted the observed celestial phenomena throughout history and how this perception played a role in their understanding of human origins and its relationship to nature. Students approach astronomical concepts through the lens of archaeoastronomy (defined as the exploration of astronomical practices in ancient cultures) and ethnoastronomy (defined as the study of astronomical practices by different
cultures around the world).
Topics includes celestial myths and their role in understanding/describing natural events, origins of astrology, cultural interpretations of the motions of the stars, planets, the Moon, and the Sun, methods of navigation and timekeeping, different calendars, and puzzles that have inspired important shifts in our understanding of the Universe. The course examines varying cultural conceptions of astronomy and how those conceptions function in different human societies on social, political, economic, and religious levels.