| Title | : | People and the Sky: Our Ancestors and the Cosmos |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0500051526 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780500051528 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Hardcover |
| Number of Pages | : | 252 |
| Publication | : | First published May 26, 2008 |
Few of us can accurately identify the stars and constellations, the phases of the moon, or the hour and position of sunrise, but our forebears had an intimate relationship with the heavens. People and the Sky explores how ancient hunters, farmers, sailors, rulers, and storytellers were all once cosmically connected.
Anthony Aveni reveals how !Kung and Mursi hunter-gatherers depended on signals in the sky for their survival and sustenance; how master Polynesian sailors navigated a seemingly limitless watery world by star bearings; how social cohesion in cultures as diverse as the Pawnee and the Inca was mirrored in celestial imagery; and how the cosmic connection between the arrangement of Aztec and Chinese cities and the constellations served as an expression of political authority.
Through most of human history, people found meaning in the dance of the cosmic denizens. Today, many aspects of this intimate contact between daily life and what happens in the sky have disappeared. Did our ancestors have an understanding of the cosmos that we ourselves lack? How and why did it all happen? Aveni addresses these questions and more in this engaging and erudite book.
Anthony Aveni reveals how !Kung and Mursi hunter-gatherers depended on signals in the sky for their survival and sustenance; how master Polynesian sailors navigated a seemingly limitless watery world by star bearings; how social cohesion in cultures as diverse as the Pawnee and the Inca was mirrored in celestial imagery; and how the cosmic connection between the arrangement of Aztec and Chinese cities and the constellations served as an expression of political authority.
Through most of human history, people found meaning in the dance of the cosmic denizens. Today, many aspects of this intimate contact between daily life and what happens in the sky have disappeared. Did our ancestors have an understanding of the cosmos that we ourselves lack? How and why did it all happen? Aveni addresses these questions and more in this engaging and erudite book.
People and the Sky: Our Ancestors and the Cosmos Reviews
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Read for CMLIT19/ASTRO19
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For most of us, looking at the night sky is a hobby or an occasional glance (sometimes at the horoscope in the newspaper), with very few people able to use stars for navigation or identify constellations. Aveni traces the ancient methods of astronomy and its uses, from Mayan calendars to Babylonian mapmaking, along with the layout of cities, ceremonial religious dates, record keeping and attempts to diving the future. This is a good introduction to Archeoastronomy, with simplified explanations of basic available technology and mathematics.
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Read for an Anthropology of Magic, Science, and Religion course.
