Astronomy in Ancient Cultures Project
Procedure
Introduction: Students are to use their previous skills in observational astronomy to
prompt discussion of what the sky would look like to a people in a different time and
place.
Example Questions to think about for discussion:
 Where would the sun rise and set in China? South America?
 Would people see the same stars during the night in China? South America?
 Is it possible for the sun to be directly overhead here? Where?
 How can a civilization keep track of time during the day? Year?
Each group of 2 students chooses a different ancient culture to investigate. For the
project, students will then be guided through each part of the lesson as indicated on the
instructional handouts (included in the attached supported documents):
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Choose an ancient civilization to work with in groups of 2.
Determine the geographic location on a globe, and decide on a year of
observation.
Work through the attached guided inquiry worksheet using the sky simulation
program "Stellarium".
Map the path of the sun that occurs during different parts of the year with a
celestial sphere and “Stellarium”; note the equinox and solstice positions.
Collect information available about the astronomical observations left by the
people in the form of archeological evidence and written records, if available. Use
a variety of books and the internet which include at least 4 sources properly
cited in correct MLA format.
Formulate a list of questions to be explored in their final "report" or project,
focusing on the connection between the observations made by the people and
their interpretation of the observations that had the most meaning in the everyday
lives of the ancient civilization.
Organize their information and ideas together into a paper, PowerPoint or a
shorter paper with your own original artwork
Present their findings to the class in the form of a PowerPoint, artwork, or other
media, and always with class discussion.
NAME:
Group Members:
Astronomy in Ancient Cultures Project
Objectives:
1. Choose an ancient culture and find out what the sky looked like to these people
throughout the year. Map sunrise and sunset positions in the sky, position of a pole star
and the path of the sun during the day and the stars at night. Are there other significant
observations?
2. Determine what evidence is available about this culture: ancient monuments,
archeology, and written records or myths and legends that record astronomical
observations and/or interpretations of astronomical observations made by the people.
3. Develop questions and investigate answers about the significance of astronomy to this
culture.
“Archeoastronomy” is the study of the practice of astronomy by ancient cultures of the world.
Our project for the sky observation part of the Astronomy Course is to view the sky from the
perspective of a culture that existed before recorded history. We are looking for a time when a
people determined the time of day, day of the year, and seasons in a yearly cycle from the
motions of the sky rather than a calendar or clock.
Your project will be to examine the sky as one ancient people would have observed it. You will
have use of the “Stellarium” sky simulation program to help you. Then, you will research the
evidence available about the astronomical observations they recorded. Explore the relationship
the people had to the sky through their values and stories using the internet and books that
have been collected for your use.
The project will consist of the following parts:
A.
5 points
Choose a pre-historic peoples from the following list
B.
Complete Worksheet #1 & 2 on the view of the sky for these people using
10 points
the sky simulation program “Stellarium”.
C.
30 points
Collect information about the archeology and legends that have survived
from the people you have chosen. Use Worksheets #3-6 as a guide to find
out everything available about this culture. Be sure to write down the
references you have used.
D.
10 points
Formulate a list of questions to be explored in the final “report” of your
project. You may use the list from Worksheet #3 and also ask questions of
your own. Focus on the connection between the observations made by the
people and their interpretation of the observations that had the most
meaning in their everyday lives.
E.
40 points
Organize your information and ideas together into a paper, PowerPoint, or a
shorter paper with your own original artwork. Be sure to include diagrams
and illustrations of archeology and the patterns in the sky that are needed to
tell the stories of the people.
F.
10 points
Present your findings to the class. Use the document camera to display
diagrams and patterns of stars in the sky. Discuss the contents of the
worksheets you have completed about the people’s view of the sky and the
relevance to their culture.
The presentation will be waived if you complete this project alone.
105
TOTAL POINTS POSSIBLE
What should your project include?
Title: (and subtitle which reflects the nature of your investigation)
Introduction: Paragraph of 5–6 sentences which include the name, approximate time, location of
the people you are studying. Include the most significant aspect of the sky as they would have
seen it and the major relevance to their lives and culture.
Observations: Diagrams and word descriptions of the observations of the sun, planets, stars,
pole star and other noteworthy events (such as aurora) that would have been observed by these
people. Include the sunrise and sunset positions, positions of the solstices and equinoxes,
length of day at different times of the year.
Archeological and/or Written evidence of astronomy as used by this group of people. Correlate
the observations you did with the sky simulation and sun hemisphere with these records. Detail
all astronomical observations that were recorded by this culture. Detail the calendar or other
device used to keep track of time.
Conclusions: Choose 2 questions you have asked, discussed with your group and formed a
hypothesis about pertaining to this culture’s observations and the connection to their belief
system or “world view”. This should bring all the evidence in your paper together.
Length varies depending on the format. Research papers can be expected to be about 3-5
double spaced pages plus about 3-5 more pages of diagrams and pictures with at least 4
references listed in a Works Cited. A power-point presentation should have a comparable
amount of information with 15–25 slides (depending on how much is on each slide).
Creativity is encouraged, with ongoing discussions with the teacher about what and how much
is included.
Peoples you can choose from (remember, these are from ancient pre-historic times).
The underlined locations/peoples have more available information than others:
Location
Peoples and Places
Southwest U.S.
Anasazi, currently Navajo (Hovenweep, Chaco Canyon, Mesa Verdi),
Hopi, Zuni – also Petroglyph Calenders. Shaw Butte Prehistoric
Observatory (Phoenix, AZ)
Cherokee, Pawnee and Sioux (plains, including Big Horn Medicine
Wheel, Wyoming), Chumash (California, Viejas Mountain), Inuit (Alaska),
and others
Stonehenge builders – Neolithic age, Celtics – many stone circles
Mayans – Chichen Itza and Caracol tower, Aztecs (Quetzacoatl, Templo
Mayor)
Incas (including Cuzco), sun towers, Intihuatana
Mesopotamia, Babylonia and Arabia (built Astrolabes)
Aborigines (also Maori in New Zealand)
Norse
Egyptians and the pyramids of Giza
Polynesia, India (Jantar-Mantars), Central or Eastern Europe, China, Africa
(myths, less monuments), Greece.
North American
Indian
England
Mexico
South America
Middle East
Australian
Iceland
Egypt
Other cultures
Internet Resources to Get You Started
1. Multicultural Astronomy: The Astronomy of Non-western Cultures: A Resource Guide:
http://www.astrosociety.org/education/resources/multi.html
2. Windows to the Universe: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/
3. Archaeoastronomy: http://www.archaeolink.com/archaeoastronomy.htm
4. Thinkquest Archaeoastronomy: http://library.thinkquest.org/C0118421/largemain.html
5. Ancient Astronomy: http://www.astronomy.pomona.edu/archeo/
6. Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Ancient_astronomy - Be sure to confirm
your findings from this site with other sources!
7. Ancient Observatories: http://facstaff.gpc.edu/~pgore/astronomy/astr101/ancient.htm
8. Starry Messenger: http://www.hps.cam.ac.uk/starry/
9. History of Astronomy Links: http://outreach.as.utexas.edu/marykay/history.html
10. History of Astronomy Resources:
http://www.ccsd.edu/south/science/esci/akarsten/Astronomy/historywebquest/resourceshisto
ry.htm
11. More History of Astronomy Resources: http://woub.org/etseo/spacedout/video7/print.php
12. Star Teach Astronomy Education: http://starteachastronomy.com/archaeoastronomy.html
NAME:
Group Members:
Astronomy in Ancient Cultures Project Worksheet #1
Directions: Use Stellarium to complete the following information
Ancient Culture:
Modern day location (nearest city):
The Sun:
1.
December 21
Solstice
March 21
Equinox
June 21
Solstice
September 21
Equinox
Azimuth of
Sunrise
Azimuth of
Sunset
Highest altitude
of the Sun
Is there a
“zenith”
passage
Is the sun ever
circumpolar?
If so, when?
If so, when?
2. Draw the path of the Sun during the two solstices and the equinox on the dome
below: (4 points)
NAME:
Group Members:
Astronomy in Ancient Cultures Project Worksheet #2
Directions: Use Stellarium to complete the following information
Ancient Culture:
Modern day location (nearest city):
The Stars:
3. Where is the position of the North (or South) Celestial Pole among the stars? Note the
distance (in degrees) to the nearest naked eye star. ______________________
4. Let the time advance through a night time and trace the “Star Trails” (how do the stars
appear to move over time) looking in each direction:
5. What times of the year is the Milky Way visible? Note if the Milky Way goes across the
horizon or a path directly overhead.
6. The Ecliptic is roughly the path of the Sun, Moon and Planets which orbit in the plane of our
solar system. The moon and planets go across the sky in a motion like that which you drew
for the Sun on the dome above. Are the moon and planets easily visible in the sky?
NAME:
Group Members:
Astronomy in Ancient Cultures Project Worksheet #3
QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE CHOSEN:
Answer as many of these as possible. Much information has survived through legends or
monuments, though much may not be attainable. Occasionally, it may be appropriate to make
good guesses (theories). Write out answers to each of these to prepare for the paper and
presentation.
Be sure to write down references to use in your works cited!!
1. What is the astronomical system: who observes (or what is observed) what, when, where,
how and why?
2. What records for astronomical observations were kept? Explain in detail the records or
monuments that have survived to this day, and how they recorded the different astronomical
observations.
3. Explain the observations used to keep a type of calendar. How do these people keep track
of the specific dates of the year? Do they keep a solar calendar (based on the position of the
sun) or a lunar calendar (based on appearances and phases of the moon)?
4. How do astronomical observations relate to other components of culture? This is where you
discuss the myths and legends resulting from observations of the stars, the sky and the
motion. What constellations were named? What was the significance to the culture, did
astronomical sightings mean different activities were done, for instance?
NAME:
Group Members:
Astronomy in Ancient Cultures Project Worksheet #4
QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE CHOSEN (CONT.):
The Sun:
1. Is solar position used to tell time on a daily basis? (If so, note method)
2. Is movement of the sun marked for seasonal activities? What are the seasons, and what
activities are associated with each?
3. Are solstices observed and recorded?
4. Are equinoxes observed and recorded?
5. In the Tropics: Did the people note the zenith passages?
6. In the Arctic, how are the summer period of light and the winter’s great darkness perceived
and understood? How do people relate to the circumpolar sun (when 24 hour sunlight)?
7. Is a solar eclipse known, and how is it explained?
The Moon:
1. What positions of the moon are noted? Especially regarding the reappearing new moon, is
it’s angle, size or brightness significant?
2. Is there a system of moon-related months?
3. Are lunar conjunctions with stars/planets noted, and if so, with what significance?
4. Is a lunar eclipse known, and if so, how is it explained?
5. If time is determined by lunar observations (lunar calendar), how do people adjust for the
few days difference to coincide with the seasons?
NAME:
Group Members:
Astronomy in Ancient Cultures Project Worksheet #5
QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE CHOSEN (CONT.):
The Stars:
1. What stars/constellations seem to have the greatest cultural significance?
2. Is the celestial pole noted?
3. Are heliacal risings and settings important? (These are objects that rise just before the
sun, or set just after the sun, as observed for the first or last time)
4. What stars are used to tell time during the night?
5. What seasonal associations are made with the stars/constellations?
6. Is there an ecliptic-like path noted among the stars? Do they use stars along the celestial
equator as significant instead?
7. What is the Milky Way? Are its dark areas observed as “constellations”?
8. Is there significance to the position of the Celestial Pole? For example, some cultures
where the stars move overhead they feel they are in the center of the “universe”.
Likewise, if a culture sees stars moving around a distant point, they often feel that a
“higher power” is a distance away.
NAME:
Group Members:
Astronomy in Ancient Cultures Project Worksheet #6
QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED ABOUT THE PEOPLE YOU HAVE CHOSEN (CONT.):
The Planets:
1. What planets are observed and why? What planet has the most significance?
2. If Venus and/or Mercury are identifiable, are they recognized as the same planet
whether it is in the evening or the morning sky?
3. Are the planets as a group distinguished from the stars?
4. If there is a “morning star” or “evening star” observation, is it considered a planet?
5. Is there a classification for inner/inferior and outer/superior planets?
6. Is there awareness of retrograde motion of the planets? Does this have special
significance?
Other Celestial Phenomenon:
1. What is the sky? How is movement across it by astronomical objects explained?
2. What is a shooting star/meteor, and what is the reaction to one when directly observed?
3. Are comets known? What are they? What do they mean?
4. What is the aurora borealis (or australis) and its meaning?
NAME:
Group Members:
Astronomy in Ancient Cultures Project Conclusion Worksheet
Choose 2 questions you have asked, discussed with your group and formed an
hypothesis about pertaining to this culture’s observations and the connection to their
belief system or “world view”. This should bring all the evidence in your paper together.
Big Questions #1:
Big Question #2:
Big Question #3 (Optional)