World Archaeoastronomy: Selected Papers from the Second Oxford International Conference On Archaeoastronomy

by Anthony F. Aveni (Editor)

This is a collection of forty papers on world archaeoastronomy given at an international conference held at Merida, Yucatan, Mexico in 1986 that explore the meaning of astronomy to ancient peoples through a study of their texts and oral traditions. The book features an interdisciplinary approach that brings together authors from a variety of fields, such as history, anthropology, archaeology, art history, and astronomy. The first part of the book reviews sites, areas and cultures of importance in archaeoastronomy. This is followed by an examination of the written record, particularly for Mesoamerica. In the third section, the text records are related to the unwritten testimonies of sites, buildings and alignments that seem to have astronomical significance. Throughout the text, the contributors attempt to define the subject and what it has achieved.

Genres: Archaeology

528 pages, Hardcover

First published April 28, 1989

About the author

Anthony F. Aveni is Russell Colgate Distinguished University Professor of Astronomy, Anthropology, and Native American Studies at Colgate University.