Calendars and Constellations of the Ancient World

Calendars and Constellations of the Ancient World PDF

Author: Emmeline Plunket

Publisher: Cosimo, Inc.

Published: 2005-11-01

Total Pages: 308

ISBN-13: 159605414X

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The great temple of Amen-Ra at Thebes... is oriented to the setting sun of the season so important to Egyptians, that of the summer solstice, and this fact strengthens the opinion that Amen was considered to be a god in some way presiding over the course of the year and its right measurement. -from "Amen and the Egyptian Year" First published in 1903 as Ancient Calendars and Constellations, this overview of early astronomical observations and how they influenced the belief systems and religions of early civilizations quickly became a resource later scholars looked to for guidance. From the very beginnings of astronomy, nearly 8,000 years ago, to the more "modern" ancient astronomies of Greece, Egypt, India, Persia, and China, this charming and erudite book will fascinate students of science, history, and mythology as well as lovers of the night sky.

Ancient Calendars and Constellations

Ancient Calendars and Constellations PDF

Author: Emmeline Mary Plunket

Publisher: Sagwan Press

Published: 2018-02-02

Total Pages: 316

ISBN-13: 9781376535594

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

Calendars and Years

Calendars and Years PDF

Author: John M. Steele

Publisher: Oxbow Books

Published: 2007-10-08

Total Pages: 240

ISBN-13: 1782974938

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Dates form the backbone of written history. But where do these dates come from? Many different calendars were used in the ancient world. Some of these calendars were based upon observations or calculations of regular astronomical phenomena, such as the first sighting of the new moon crescent that defined the beginning of the month in many calendars, while others incorporated schematic simplifications of these phenomena, such as the 360-day year used in early Mesopotamian administrative practices in order to simplify accounting procedures. Historians frequently use handbooks and tables for converting dates in ancient calendars into the familiar BC/AD calendar that we use today. But very few historians understand how these tables have come about, or what assumptions have been made in their construction. The seven papers in this volume provide an answer to the question what do we know about the operation of calendars in the ancient world, and just as importantly how do we know it? Topics covered include the ancient and modern history of the Egyptian 365-day calendar, astronomical and administrative calendars in ancient Mesopotamia, and the development of astronomical calendars in ancient Greece. This book will be of interest to ancient historians, historians of science, astronomers who use early astronomical records, and anyone with an interest in calendars and their development.

The Circulation of Astronomical Knowledge in the Ancient World

The Circulation of Astronomical Knowledge in the Ancient World PDF

Author:

Publisher: BRILL

Published: 2016-04-18

Total Pages: 595

ISBN-13: 9004315632

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

The Circulation of Astronomical Knowledge in the Ancient World explores the ways in which astronomical knowledge circulated between different communities of scholars over time and space, and what was done with that knowledge when it was received.

Calendars in Antiquity

Calendars in Antiquity PDF

Author: Sacha Stern

Publisher: OUP Oxford

Published: 2012-09-06

Total Pages: 468

ISBN-13: 0191626228

DOWNLOAD EBOOK →

Calendars were at the heart of ancient culture and society, and were far more than just technical, time-keeping devices. Calendars in Antiquity offers a comprehensive study of the calendars of ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, Persia, Greece, Rome, Gaul, and all other parts of the Mediterranean and the Near East, from the origins up to and including Jewish and Christian calendars in late Antiquity. In this volume, Stern sheds light on the political context in which ancient calendars were designed and managed. Set and controlled by political rulers, calendars served as expressions of political power, as mechanisms of social control, and sometimes as assertions of political independence, or even of sub-culture and dissidence. While ancient calendars varied widely, they all shared a common history, evolving on the whole from flexible, lunar calendars to fixed, solar schemes. The Egyptian calendar played an important role in this process, leading most notably to the institution of the Julian calendar in Rome, the forerunner of our modern Gregorian calendar. Stern argues that this common, evolutionary trajectory was not the result of scientific or technical progress. It was rather the result of major political and social changes that transformed the ancient world, with the formation of the great Near Eastern empires and then the Hellenistic and Roman Empires from the first millennium BC to late Antiquity. The institution of standard, fixed calendars served the administrative needs of these great empires but also contributed to their cultural cohesion.

Lanterna Rally - Theme by Grace Themes