Aaron Rodriguez

Anth 160-1
Annotated references
Aveni, A. & Hartung, H. (1986). Maya city planning and the calendar. The American
Philosophical Society, 76(7). 1-87.
Aveni (a pioneer in the field of archaeastronomy) and Hartung look at mayan temples and
analyze their alignment with the cosmos. Moreover, they look at how and why the
mayans and the various temples were situated and or constructed to represent calendric
times that were important to said culture. Perhaps even more interesting is the repeated
architectural-representation in the temples at various mayan sites. In other words, these
are not isolated incidences and or simple coincidences.
Baity, E.C. (1973). Archaeoastronomy and Ethnoastronomy So Far. Current
Anthropology, 14(4). 389-449.
Baity provides an overview of how archaeastronomy and ethastronomy has developed as
an interdisciplinary field. Moreover, Baity aims the paper to focus on the debate that
pioneers, in this field of study, have had for some time examples include Stonehenge
and other New and Old World megaliths. More specifically, how Stonehenge was used
an quasi-astronomical, prehistoric observatory. Baitys paper also aims to infuse a variety
of studies (i.e. articles) which analyze specific ethnoastronomical data. Dealing primarily
with megalithic-erecting cultures, Baity provides an overview of the variety fields of
research.
Ceci, L. (1978). Watchers of the Pleiades: Ethnoastronomy among native cultivators
in northeastern North America. American Society of Ethnohistory, 25(4). 301317.
Ceci analyzes two Native American societies that expressed not only admiration for the
cosmos but also a vast, expansive knowledge about them as well. The Algonquian and
Iroquois were specifically addressed in this paper. The Algonquian and Iroquois
expressed their knowledge of the cosmos in the form of myths and narratives.
Specifically, these cultures had particular reverence for a well-known cluster of stars,
located in the constellation of Taurus, known as the Pleiades. The reason the Pleiades
were so important to these ancient peoples and other cultures as well was largely due
to the relationship that the Pleiades had with cultivation, frost, and (subsequently) hunger.
The integration of star knowledge into myths and narratives was a method by which
information could be (in essence) passed on from generation to generation (e.g. the
significance of narratives in cultures).
Dearborn, D.S. & White, R.E. (1982). Archaeoastronomy at Machu Picchu. Annals of
the New York Academy of Sciences.

Dearborn and White analyze the citadel known as Machu Picchu. Unlike North America,
which is located north of the equator, Machu Picchu is located in Peru (which is located
south of the equator). In short, their solstices and are not synonymous with North
American seasons; places south of the equator have opposite seasons in comparison to
places north of the equator. This paper looks primarily at two structures within the
Machu Picchu site the Torreon and the Intihuatana Stone. These two structures in
Machu Picchu, the Torreon and the Intihiatana Stone, have astronomical significance and
(perhaps more importantly) possesses calendric practicability. Briefly, the Torreon is
watch-tower like structure that is believed to be a temple of some sort. The significance
behind this temple like watch-tower is that, it is a instrument by which ancient peoples
used to observe the June solstice.
Ellegard, A., Aveni, A.F., Baity, E.C., Blakeslee, D.J., Carlson, J.B., Cohodas, M.,
Edmonson, M.S., Flanagan, L.N.W., Gingerich, O. Hicks, R., Kehoe, T.F., Kehoe,
A.B., McCluskey, S.C., MacKie, E., Renfrew, C., Reyman, J.E., Ruggles, C.,
Tsen, T.C., Turton, D. (1981). Stone age science in Britain?. Current
Anthropology, 22(2). 99-125.
Looks at Stone age Britain and the various megalthic structure which contain probable
evidence for astronomical alignment. The implications that this has on Neolithic peoples
of Europe is profound to say the least.
Szcs-Csillik, I., Comsa, A., Maxim, Z., and Szucs, I. (2010). Case studies of
archaeoastronomy in Romania. Archeologia e Calcolatori, 21. 325-337.
Szcs-Csillik et. al. look at two Romanian sites dating to Neolithic times. The site known
as Cernica is a Neolithic necropolis with burials that are oddly fixated and or orientated
to have astronomical significance. Another site, known as the Romanian Stonehenge, is
Sarmizegetusa Regia. S. Regia is important because it represents a culture (Dacian)
developed the site as a sort of political-center/fortress. Situated within this fortress there
lies a monument known as The Sacred Precincts. The astronomical significance that
this monument illustrates is that, it possesses lithic anomalies, which are thought to be
correlated with the cultures reverence to Sun.