Skyscapes, Cosmology, and Archaeology is a module taught by Dr. Fabio Silva of the University College of London Institute of Archaeology, who is also an instructor for the Sophia Center Institute for the Study of Cosmology in Culture and the Co-editor of the upcoming Journal of Skyscape Archaeology. This course, formerly titled Archaeoastronomy, is part of the University of Wales TSD MA in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology. The cross-discipline of Archaeoastronomy (Archaeology + Astronomy, + a good chunk of statistical mathematics) was re-branded in the nineteen-eighties and nineties to the more anthropologically-friendly name Cultural Astronomy, stressing the importance of how different cultures perceived the sky as opposed to just the study of astronomical alignments of monuments and buildings. In a sense, Archaeoastronomy can now be considered a sub-discipline under the umbrella of Cultural Astronomy, along with the studies of Ethnoastronomy, Cosmology, Astrology and the History of Astronomy (if indeed one considers these separate sub-disciplines at all).
The sky and its circadian rhythms played an essential role in the lives of humans for millennia. Cultures found meaning in what they perceived in the night sky and wove creation myths, calendrical systems, and cosmological and meteorological omens into the fabric of their existence. In our modern world of electric lighting (and its accompanying light pollution), television and internet, we have all but lost touch with the sky, and many seldom stop to look up. As part this eight week course, Silva included
Hands-on activities for each week- simple exercises of astronomical observation or measurement that everyone can do from their homes. We were promoted to
"record and/or photograph your results and share them on the facebook page of the module. If you encounter any issues or have questions you can also use the facebook page to ask them. By doing these exercises you will build up hands-on knowledge of how to measure the quantities archaeoastronomers routinely measure and allow you to feel confortable in any future fieldwork (for instance, for your research essay). You will also be repeating the kinds of measurements, using hands and fingers,that would have been used by early monument builders." (Fabio Silva, Skyscapes, Cosmology and Archaeology Hanbook, 2015)
What follows here are the weekly activities as they were posted to the Skyscapes, Cosmology and Archaeology Facebook group page:
WEEK 1
Hands-on exercise for the Week-What phase is the moon on?
"Use a smartphone or camera to take a picture of the moon and post it on the module's facebook page. Don't forget to tell us where you are and what time it was when you took the picture."
WEEK 2
Hands-on exercise for the Week-How high is the moon?
Taking note of your time, date and place, use your closed fist, open palm and/or fingers to estimate how high the moon is relative to the distant horizon. Is it two closed fists high? Or an open palm and two fingers?
WEEK 3 Hands-on exercise for the Week-What is the altitude of the celestial poles?
"Use your hands (and the appropriate conversion table), a clinometer or a smartphone app to measure the altitude of Polaris (if you are in the northern hemisphere) or the celestial pole (if in the southern hemisphere). There will be instructions on facebook on how to find the celestial poles in the night sky."
WEEK 4
Hands-on exercise for the Week - What is the orientation of your street?
"Use a compass or a smartphone/tablet app to measure the orientation of your street."
WEEK 5
Hands-on exercise for the Week-What is the azimuth of the setting moon?
"Use a compass or a smartphone/tablet app to measure the azimuth where the new moon is setting."
The moon rose this night- not set.
WEEK 6
Hands-on exercise for the Week This week, take some time to review previous hands-on exercises and try them on your own: measure azimuths and altitudes of different things: streets, houses, tree alignments, but also of the sun, moon or stars. Post pictures on facebook and any of your measurements. Don’t forget to include your time, date and location.
WEEK 7
Hands-on Task for the Week-What is the declination of the setting sun?
"As the sun is setting, go outside with your compass/clinometer or smartphone app and measure its azimuth and altitude. Then use the excel spreadsheet on moodle to convert it to declination."
WEEK 8
Hands-on Task for the Week- Pick a street on your neighbourhood and find out which day of the year do you get a Manhattanhenge-like effect.
"Measure the azimuth and altitude of a street in your neighbouhood, and convert them to declination. You can then use the solar declination table on moodle to find out on which day of the year does the sun have the same declination as your street."
READINGHENGE
Two final posts...
I returned to the corner of 8th and Washington on September 19th to verify my calculations.
It turns out that my calculations were correct and the "Readinghenge" effect can be seen.
and finally...
Autumn Equinox with the Sun Surveyor iPhone app.