Thursday

Cultural astronomy is the study of the astronomy of ancient or Indigenous cultures and is sometimes called the anthropology of astronomy. It is important that archaeologists and anthropologists examine astronomy as well in the cultures they study. The many ways that astronomy has been used by cultures are fascinating and they often show well-developed visual astronomies used for calendrical purposes of crop management and religious festivals. Archaeoastronomy is interdisciplinary and among its practitioners are not only astronomers and astrophysicists, but also a growing number of anthropologists, archaeologists, and Indigenous scholars. It is critical that astronomical data collected be placed into cultural context. Much can be learned about ancient cultures though examination of how and why they used astronomy. Distance-learning archaeoastronomy educational opportunities at the University of Oklahoma are discussed. These and other educational initiatives will greatly enhance related research in the future and will facilitate significant advancements in what we know about ancient and Indigenous cultures world-wide.