Archaeoastronomy

Spring equinox sunset at the Obelisks in Jabal Madbah, in ancient Petra
Start year
1993
Organizational Unit
RESEARCH DIVISION
Organizing institutions
Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC)
Description

The main objective of this project is to study the importance of astronomy as a fundamental part of human culture and civilization from Paleolithic to the present day. Our interest is mainly devoted to the people of the ancient Mediterranean cultures from the Atlantic to the Middle East, with a special dedication to Spain, its geographical neighbourhood and ancient Egypt. However, we are also developing projects in Mesoamerica, Peru and the Pacific islands.

Principal investigator
Project staff
Collaborators
Dr.
José Luis Escacena
Universidad de Sevilla
Dr.
Magdi Fekri
Menoufia University
Dr.
M.C. Gallegos
Universidad de Extremadura
Dr.
Marco García Quintela
Universidad Santiago de Compostela
Dr.
Michael Hoskin
University of Cambridge
Dr.
Dimiter Kolev
Institute of Astronomy- Bulgarian Academy of Sciences
Dr.
Migel Ángel Molinero Polo
Universidad de La Laguna
Dr.
Mª Antonia Perera Betancor
Cabildo Insular de Lanzarote
Dr.
Manuel Pérez
Universidad de Salamanca
Dr.
Andrea Polcaro
Università delle Studi di Perugia
Dr.
Margarita Sanz de Lara Barrios
Universidad de La Laguna
Dr.
Antonio Tejera Gaspar
Universidad de La Laguna
Dr.
José María Vaquero
Universidad de Extremadura
Dr.
Mauro Zedda
Societá Archeofila Sarda
  1. The summit of Gran Canaria has been considered as an excellent example of a Cultural Landscape worthy of being declared World Heritage site within the Astronomy and World Heritage Initiative of UNESCO and the IAU. In 2018 the memory has been completed and the process of evaluation by ICOMOS has begun.
  2. A rock engraving or petroglyph of the aboriginal era on the island of La Palma (Benahoare) has been interpreted as an island map where its major landmarks are represented for purposes of sympathetic magic. This is without doubt one of the finest examples of prehistoric map produced before the development of modern cartography.
  3. The megalithic monumental complex of Castillejo del Bonete stands as the first evidence of a solar marker (towards the winter solstice sunrise) in a megalithic site of the Iberian Peninsula, indicating that the precise location of the monument was carefully chosen (Benítez de Lugo Enrich, L., Esteban, C., 2018).

Publications related

Talks related

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Conferences related

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Related news

  • The egyptologist José Lull.
    JOSÉ LULL: "The Egyptian astronomers used to observe from the terraces of the temples and palaces"
    Advertised on
Type
Research
State
In progress
Web del Proyecto
Exoplanetary Systems & Solar System (SEYSS)

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