Archaeoastronomy

archaeoastronomy is
the investigation of the astronomical knowledge of prehistoric cultures.

INTRO:

Here we will discuss:

The Sumerians, who were the first, not just in astronomy, but also in astrology; they even created the Zodiac.

The Egyptians and Nut (pronounced "newt"), the sky and the sky goddess. Their importance on the constellation of Orion, for them it was the constellation of Osirus. Also, how Sirius and the constellation of Leo were important. The entire Egyptian plateau is one giant star map, of the constellation of Orion, or, to the Egyptians, Osirus, their last true god who lived on Earth with the people. Even the size of the pyramids correlate to the magnitude of the stars in the constellation of Orion. The Sphinx, or lion, is in the exact location of the constellation Leo. There is evidence that suggests that the Pharaoh Khufu had his likeness carved onto the Sphinx, and that it was once a lion. The myth of the Sphinx came later in Greek mythology. When standing in the middle of the King's Chamber in the Great Pyramid, as the constellation Leo rises on the horizon, on the winter solstice, the star Sirius is visible to the outside, through one of the "air vents." The discoverers of this phenomenon were banned from the Egyptian Plateau for threatening the current beliefs of Egyptology. The stars were so important to the Egyptians. It is where their gods came from. The gods influenced every aspect of Egyptian life. A far cry from the modern day, when a portion of the population only does something religious for part of one day a week. To the Egyptians, they could see the gods occasionally and see their home. There was no doubt or atheism, it was fact.

In 150 AD (CE), in Alexandria, Egypt, the astronomer Ptolemy proves the world is round.



The Anasazi:
The only ancient civilization, from what we know now, to record the 18 1/2 year moon cycle.




The Mayans:
Observation domes. Tikal was their most advanced city and astronomical observatory.



Greece:
The Greeks believed they could see the home of their gods as well, Mount Olympus, floating in the air. Imagine if we could see Jesus or Buddha, with a choir of angels about him on cloud, floating in the air. This is what it would have been like for the ancients. The mythical floating city of Shambala, or Crystal Mountain, in Nepal, has many similarities to that of Mount Olympus.
The Greeks named most of the constellations, that we still use today and kept accurate astrological records with the first mechanical computer.








and more!