African cultural astronomy : current archaeoastronomy and ethnoastronomy research in Africa / Jarita C. Holbrook, R. Thebe Medupe, Johnson O. Urama editors

Object Details

Author

Ghana Eclipse Conference (2006 : Cape Coast, Ghana)

Holbrook, Jarita C (Jarita Charmian)

Medupe, Rodney

Urama, Johnson O

Papers from the Ghana Eclipse Conference held March 27-31, 2006 in Cape Coast, Ghana.

Contents

Chasing the shadow of the moon: The 2006 Ghana Eclipse Conference / Jarita C. Holbrook -- The use of ethnographic methods in cultural astronomy research / Barth Chukwuezi -- A brief outline on the geographical background of Africa / Basil U. Eze -- The astronomical gnomon / J. McKim Malville -- Naked-eye astronomy for cultural astronomers / J.C. Holbrook and Audra Baleisis -- Leadership / Shawna Holbrook -- Integrating African cultural astronomy into the classroom / Sanlyn Buxner and Shawna Holbrook -- A contemporary approach to teaching eclipses / Timothy F. Slater -- Teaching cultural astronomy : on the development and evolution of the syllabus at Bath Spa University and the University of Wales, Lampeter / Nick Campion -- Evidence of ancient African beliefs in celestial bodies / Felix A. Chami -- Astronomy of Nabta Playa / J. McKim Malville, Romauld Schild, Fred Wendorf and Robert Brenmer -- Romans, astronomy and the Qibla : urban form and orientation of Islamic cities of Tunisia / M.E. Bonine -- The Timbuktu Astronomy Project / Rodney Thebe Medupe ... [et al.] -- The cosmological vision of the Yoruba-Idààcha of Benin Republic (West Africa) : a light on Yoruba history and culture / Aimé Dafon Sègla -- The relationship between human destiny and the cosmic forces : a study of the IGBO worldview / Barth Chukwuezi -- Cultural astronomy in the lore and literature of Africa / Damian U. Opata -- Astronomy and culture in Nigeria / J.O. Urama -- Participation and research of astronomers and astrophysicists of Black African descent (1900-2005) / Hakeem M. Oluseyi and Johnson Urama

Summary

"Astronomy is the science of studying the sky using telescopes and light collectors such as photographic plates or CCD detectors. However, people have always studied the sky and continue to study the sky without the aid of instruments - this is the realm of cultural astronomy. This is the first scholarly collection of articles focused on the cultural astronomy of Africans. It weaves together astronomy, anthropology, and Africa. The volume includes African myths and legends about the sky, alignments to celestial bodies found at archaeological sites and at places of worship, rock art with celestial imagery, and scientific thinking revealed in local astronomy traditions including ethnomathematics and the creation of calendars."--BOOK JACKET.

2008

C2008

Type

Congresses

Physical description

viii, 260 p. : ill., maps ; 25 cm

Place

Africa

Title

Current archaeoastronomy and ethnoastronomy research in Africa

Smithsonian Libraries

Topic

Ethnoastronomy

Archaeoastronomy

Record ID

siris_sil_1002999

Metadata Usage (text)

CC0