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Beyond Paradigms in Cultural Astronomy: Proceedings of the 27th SEAC conference held together with the EAA
Edited by A. César González-García, Roslyn M. Frank, Lionel D. Sims, Michael A. Rappenglück, Georg Zotti, Juan A. Belmonte, Ivan Šprajc
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Cultural Astronomy is the endeavour to understand the role of the sky in past and present societies, and how these societies incorporated the sky into their culture. This broad ranging discipline is closely related to archaeology when investigating material remains of the past. Cultural Astronomy also explores the role of the heavens from the perspectives of the anthropological sciences. In recent decades the discipline has been concerned with methodological and theoretical issues. This volume offers chapters based on presentations at the 27th SEAC meeting held in Bern (2019). These chapters provide a vivid image of front-line research in diverse areas, from Roman light and shadow effects to highlight power, to Maya city organization, Etruscan temple orientation or the ontology of the sky.
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Cover
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Title page
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Copyright page
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Of Related Interest
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Contents
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Foreword
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Part 1: Cultural Astronomy, Skyscape and Ontology: How Celestial Objects and Events have Featured in the Belief Systems, Cosmologies and Woldviews of Different Societies
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1. Do Ancient Egyptian Almanacs Show Evidenceof Celestial Recurrence?
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1.1 Introduction
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1.2 Pharaonic menologies and hemerologies
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1.3 Schematic distribution of one thirdof all prognoses
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1.4 Transformation of the almanac’s intervalsinto time points
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1.5 Explanation of the period ~2.85
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1.6 Explanation of the split differences
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1.7 Arithmetic conclusion
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1.8 Different statistical techniques for periodicityanalysis
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1.9 Can Rayleigh test be used to determine periodicityin the data series?
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1.10 Dependence on the placement of the time pointsover the day
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1.11 Comparing different sources
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1.12 Comparing different statistical techniquesfor periodicities
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1.13 Fixed almanac prognoses relating to recurrentcelestial events
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1.14 Statistical conclusions
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1.15 Overall conclusions
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2. “Cosmic” Containers − Elements and Representativesof Ancient Cosmovisions
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2.1 Introduction
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2.2 Notional “cosmic containers” in mythicalcosmovisions
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2.3 Containers with cosmic symbolism
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2.3.1 Shape
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2.3.2 Material
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2.3.3 Manufacturing
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2.3.4 Décor
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2.3.5 Context of use
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2.4 Conclusion
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References
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3. Solstice Azimuths as Design Elements at Angkor Watand Nearby Temples
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3.1 Introduction
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3.2 Methods
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3.3 Results
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3.3.1 Angkor Wat
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3.3.2 Other Nearby Sites
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3.4 Discussion
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3.5 Concluding remarks
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Acknowledgements
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References
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4. Returning from the Underworld: The West Kennet Palisadesin the Avebury Monument Complex
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4.1 Introduction
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4.2 Framing the West Kennet Palisades
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4.3 The archaeology of the West Kennet Palisades
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4.4 The skyscape archaeology of Enclosure 2 of theWest Kennet Palisades
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4.5 Conclusion
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References
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Part 2: Frontiers in Theory, Methodology and Education withinCultural Astronomy
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5. Beyond Paradigms: Archaeoastronomy as a NewInterpretation Key to Understand the Function and Meaningof Ancient Roman Buildings
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5.1 Foreword
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5.2 Hadrian’s Villa in Tivoli (Rome)
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5.3 The Pantheon
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5.3.1 Previous studies
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5.3.2 The hierophanies of the Pantheon
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5.3.3 Our discovery: the hierophanies of the Arc ofLight and the Square of Light
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5.3.4 The symbolic meaning of the Arc of Light
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5.4 Conclusions on the Pantheon
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References
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6. Astronomical Data and Their Usefulnessfor Dating Ancient Societies
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6.1 Introduction
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6.2 Ancient Egyptian Calendars
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6.3 Ancient Mesopotamian Calendars
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6.4 General problems
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6.5 Egypt in the first half of the secondmillennium BCE
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6.6 Mesopotamia in the first half of the secondmillennium BCE
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References
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7. Teaching Cultural Astronomy to Undergraduateswith an Interdisciplinary Frame
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7.1 Introduction
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7.2 What to teach?
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7.3 Astronomy, Maps, and Mapping
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7.4 Data Collection Methods and Case Studies
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7.5 Student Responses
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7.6 Conclusions
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References
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8. The Chiemgau Impact: Evidence of a Latest Bronze Age/EarlyIron Age Meteorite Impact in the Archaeological Record, andResulting Critical Considerations of Catastrophism
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8.1 Introduction: Did meteorite impacts shape humancultures?
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8.2 Holocene meteorite impacts and presumedcultural implications: some caveats
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8.3 New aspects from the Holocene Chiemgaumeteorite impact
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8.3.1 The Holocene Chiemgau Impact
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8.3.2 The verification of a meteorite impact in anarchaeological context by artefacts constituting partof an impact rock − the first evidence worldwide
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8.3.3 The dating of the Holocene Chiemgaumeteorite impact
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8.4 The question of a cultural catastrophe scenario
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8.4.1 Consequences on the supra-regional level?
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8.4.2 Consequences on a local scale?
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8.5 Conclusion
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References
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9. How Do We Know What They Were Thinking?Archaeoastronomy between Science and Speculation −Palaeolithic Case Studies
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9.1 Introduction
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9.2 From Astro-Archaeology to Cultural Astronomy
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9.3 How can the range of topics and the methodologyof Cultural Astronomy be determined?
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9.4 The Integral Methodology as a scientific approach −Case studies from the Palaeolithic
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9.5 Some points of an Integral Methodology
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9.6 Conclusion
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References
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10. Archaeoastronomical Sites as Fields of Relationship
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10.1 Introduction
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10.2 Relational Ontologies
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10.3 Ingold’s relational fields
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10.4 Towards a relational ontological approachin archaeoastronomy
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10.5 Alignments
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10.6 Archaeoastronomical sites as relational fields
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10.7 Conclusions
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Acknowledgments
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References
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11. Some Thoughts on the Skycultures in Stellarium
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11.1 Introduction
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11.2 The “skyculture” concept in Stellarium
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11.3 Non-Western constellation concepts
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11.4 Lost in Translation?
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11.5 Classification
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11.6 Future work
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Acknowledgements
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References
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12. Virtual Archaeoastronomy with Stellarium: An Overview
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12.1 Introduction
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12.2 A Software Gap
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12.2.1 Archaeology
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12.2.2 Astronomy
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12.3 Bridging the Gap
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12.3.1 The Landscape Horizon
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12.3.2 Four-dimensional Virtual Archaeoastronomy
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12.4 Limitations
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12.5 Discussion and Future Work
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Acknowledgements
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References
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Part 3: The Archaeology of Astronomy: Concepts of Spaceand Time Materialised in Cultures
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13. Pisces, a Zodiac Sign Engraved on a Nabataean TombFaçade in Hegra
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13. 1 Introduction
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13.2 Concepts of Space and Time Materializedin the Nabataean Civilization
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13.2.1 Nabataean artifacts featuring astronomicalelements and time tracking tools
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13.3 Results and Analysis
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13.4 Discussion
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Acknowledgements
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References
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14. Orientation Analysis of the Monumental Architectural Remainsat Phrygian Site Kerkenes, Turkey
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14.1 Introduction
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14.2 Kerkenes
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14.3 Archaeoastronomical Analysis and Results
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14.4 Discussion
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14.5 Conclusion
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Acknowledgements
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References
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15. Cultural Astronomy: Material Culture, Astronomy,Astrology and Power
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15.1 Pilgrimage and Ritual
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15.2 The Built Environment
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15.3 Discussion
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References
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16. In the Light of the Milky Way: An Interpretative Key forCrux-Centaurus Alignments Across Prehistoric Europe
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16.1 Introduction
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16.2 Literature review: Orientations to theCrux-Centaurus
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16.3 Investigation and Analysis
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16.3.1 Testing visibility
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16.3.2 The turning of the Milky Way
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16.3.3 The laying of the Milky Way on the landscape
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16.4 Discussion
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16.5 Conclusion
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Acknowledgements
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References
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17. Etruscan Temples and the Sun: An Analysis on theOrientation of Etruscan Sacred Buildings
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17.1 Introduction
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17.2 A critical analysis of the sample and acomparison with ancient Greek temples
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17.3 Concluding remarks
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References
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18. Harmony of Light and Geometry in Medieval CistercianChurches in Italy and Switzerland from the 12th-13th Centuries
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18.1 Methodology
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18.2 Religion, liturgy and ritual
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18.3 Orientation and light incidence
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18.4 Geometry and proportion
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18.5 Conclusion
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19. The Relevance of Archaeoastronomy to Understanding UrbanPlanning and Landscape Formation in Mesoamerica
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19.1 Introduction
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19.2 Orientations in Mesoamerican Architecture
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19.3 Astronomical Alignments and Urban Planning
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19.3.1 Teotihuacan
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19.3.2 Templo Mayor of Tenochtitlan
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19.3.3 La Campana
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19.3.4 Cantona
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19.3.5 Eastern Campeche, Mexico
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19.3.6 Survivals
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19.4 Conclusion
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References
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20. Bronze Age Rock Art and 20th-Century Oil-On-CanvasImpressions of Constellation Crux, the Southern Cross
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20.1 Configurations identified as Crux
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20.1.1 Crux in Mont Bego rock art
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20.1.2 The form of the Crux asterism
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20.1.3 Crux petroglyphs in the Valle Hermoso
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20.1.4 Crux petroglyphs in the Agua Botada region
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20.1.5 Crux engravings on the Hornsby Plateau
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20.2 Twentieth-century artist views of Crux
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20.3 Stellar magnitudes
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20.3.1 Stellar magnitudes for Agua Botada/ValleHermoso
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20.3.2 Stellar magnitudes for La Silla
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20.4 Inconsistencies in the artworks
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20.4.1 The 1971 artwork
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20.4.2 The 1972 painting
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20.5 Discussion
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20.6 Summary
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20.7 A propos of the artist’s gaze
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Acknowledgement
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References
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21. The Prehistoric Taula Sanctuaries and the ContemporaryBarraques of Minorca: A Comparative Analysis within theFramework of Cultural Astronomy
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21.1 Introduction
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21.2 Principal monuments
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21.2.1 Dolmens
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21.2.2 Burial Navetas
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21.2.3 Taula Sancturaries
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21.3 An experiment of verification: Taula sanctuariesvs. Barraques
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21.4 Comparative analysis
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21.5 Conclusions
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Acknowledgements
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References
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Volume Editors
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Back cover
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Citable Link
Published: 2021
Publisher: BAR Publishing
- 9781407358222 (paper)
- 9781407358239 (ebook)
BAR Number: S3033