Sign-In
Cart
Early Man and the Cosmos
Paperback
Native American HistoryArchaeologyAstronomy & Space
ISBN13: 9780806119199
Publisher: University of Oklahoma Press
Published: Mar 15 1985
Pages: 288
Weight: 1.10
Height: 0.65 Width: 6.97 Depth: 10.03
Language: English
To a degree incomprehensible to the modern mind, skywatchers of the ancient past found the night sky a source of wonder and mystery. As Evan Hadingham so brilliantly demonstrates in his latest book, they found the skies an enormous challenge as well.
These ancient astronomers met the challenge by devising techniques with which they could predict, often with astounding precision, the cycles and eclipses of the sun, moon and planets as they passed across the heavens. With these skills - and with the visions of the universe they created as a framework for their observations - early astronomers were able to address both the everyday and spiritual needs of their people. At times, some of them may have used their arcane craft to wield vast religious and political power over their fellow men.
Drawing on the latest findings of archeologists and modern astronomers, Hadingham explores the ample evidence of the ingenuity of the early astronomers: the ziggurats of Babylon (the Tower of Babel); Egypt's pyramids; Stonehenge and other megalithic arrays in Great Britain, and the enigmatic 360-ton fallen megalith, the Fairy Stone in Brittany.
Moving from the Old World to the New, Hadingham illuminates recent discoveries of the American Southwest: the Chumash cave art of California; sun-dagger solar devices of New Mexico; and the intriguing alignments of twelfth-century pueblos, near which early astronomers still practice a form of their ancient art today. Particular attention is given the extraordinary current studies of the temples and cosmologies of the Maya, whose ancient priests compiled books of lunar cycles so accurate that their error is only two hours every five centuries.
Wherever they worked, Hadingham points out, the ancient astronomers evolved a unifying vision of their universe, through which they provided a myth explaining the natural and supernatural order of things. Often overseen by a pantheon of super beings that bolstered the powers of earthly kings and priests, these celestial visions helped to order such matters as planting and irrigation and to maintain calendars for the affairs of men. Most importantly, the visions inspired great ceremonies that celebrated life on earth and life hereafter.
Early Man and the Cosmos is a fascinating study of man's perception of the universe that illuminates our understanding not only of ancient man but also of ourselves.
Also in
Astronomy & Space
Machine Intelligence and the Imaginal Realm: Spiritual Freedom and the Re-Animation of Matter
Lafitte, Luke
Paperback
Feynman's Lost Lecture: The Motion of Planets Around the Sun [With CDROM]
Goodstein, David L.
Paperback
The Self-Actualizing Cosmos: The Akasha Revolution in Science and Human Consciousness
Laszlo, Ervin
Paperback
Lost in Space: 5,000 Facts for Navigating the Universe
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Walker, Lindsey Nyx
Hardcover
The Edge of Space-Time: Particles, Poetry, and the Cosmic Dream Boogie
Prescod-Weinstein, Chanda
Hardcover
Earthrise: Inside Artemis II, the Groundbreaking Human Mission Into Deep Space
Larsen, John
Hansen, Jeremy
Hardcover
Astronomy 101, 2nd Edition: From Gravitational Waves and Merging Black Holes to New Exoplanets and Asteroid Samples, Key Theories, Discoveries, and Fa
Petersen, Carolyn Collins
Hardcover
James Webb's Ancient Cosmos: A Journey to the Beginning of Time
Wild, Sarah
Phd Aderin, Maggie
Hardcover
Just Visiting This Planet, Revised and Updated for the Twenty-First Century: Further Scientific Adventures of Merlin from Omniscia
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Hardcover
Ancient Astrology in Theory and Practice: A Manual of Traditional Techniques, Volume I: Assessing Planetary Condition
George, Demetra
Paperback
The Shortest History of Our Universe: The Unlikely Journey from the Big Bang to Us
Baker, David
Paperback
A Brief Tour of Higher Consciousness: A Cosmic Book on the Mechanics of Creation
Bentov, Itzhak
Paperback
Open Space: From Earth to Eternity--The Global Race to Explore and Conquer the Cosmos
Ariosto, David
Hardcover
Ojibwe Sky Star Map - Constellation Guidebook: An Introduction to Ojibwe Star Knowledge
Lee, Annette Sharon
Wilson, William Peter
Gawboy, Carl
Paperback
Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew
Leinbach, Michael D.
Ward, Jonathan H.
Paperback
Chasing the Northern Lights: Everything You Need to Know to See Nature's Greatest Light Show
Dk Travel
Hardcover
Take Me to Your Leader: Perspectives on Your First Alien Encounter (Large Print Edition)
Tyson, Neil DeGrasse
Hardcover
A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?
Weinersmith, Kelly
Weinersmith, Zach
Paperback
The Six: The Extraordinary Story of the Grit and Daring of America's First Women Astronauts
Grush, Loren
Paperback
Classical Mythology of the Constellations: Timeless Tales of the Starry Night Sky
Giesecke, Annette
Hardcover
How to Read Nature: Awaken Your Senses to the Outdoors You've Never Noticed
Gooley, Tristan
Paperback
The New Guys: The Historic Class of Astronauts That Broke Barriers and Changed the Face of Space Travel
Bagby, Meredith
Paperback
Dakota/Lakota Star Map Constellation Guidebook: An Introduction to D(L)akota Star Knowledge
Lee, Annette Sharon
O'Rourke, Charlene
Rock, Jim
Paperback
Our Moon: How Earth's Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution, and Made Us Who We Are
Boyle, Rebecca
Paperback
The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze That Captured Turn-Of-The-Century America
Baron, David
Hardcover
Life After Life: The Bestselling Original Investigation That Revealed Near-Death Experiences
Moody, Raymond
Paperback
Through the Glass Ceiling to the Stars: The Story of the First American Woman to Command a Space Mission
Ward, Jonathan H.
Collins, Eileen M., USAF (Retired)
Hardcover
Night Sky Guide 2027: North America's Skies Month by Month from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
Mortillaro, Nicole
Paperback
A Brief Welcome to the Universe: A Pocket-Sized Tour
Strauss, Michael A.
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Gott, J. Richard
Paperback
The Martians: The True Story of an Alien Craze That Captured Turn-Of-The-Century America
Baron, David
Paperback
The Ultraview Effect: What We Can Learn from Astronauts about Awe, Humility, and Exploring the Unknown
Weibel, Deana L.
Hardcover
Night Sky Guide 2026: North America's Skies Month by Month from the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada
Mortillaro, Nicole
Paperback
The Natural Navigator: The Rediscovered Art of Letting Nature Be Your Guide
Gooley, Tristan
Paperback
Cloudy with a Chance of Starships: How the Drake Equation Reveals the Odds of Life in the Cosmos
Rasmussen, Seven
Hardcover
How to Read Nature: Awaken Your Senses to the Outdoors You've Never Noticed
Gooley, Tristan
Hardcover
Ripples on the Cosmic Ocean: An Environmental History of Our Place in the Solar System
deGroot, Dagomar
Hardcover
National Geographic Stargazer's Atlas: The Ultimate Guide to the Night Sky
Trefil, James
Wei-Haas, Maya
National Geographic
Hardcover
A Jesuit's Guide to the Stars: Exploring Wonder, Beauty, and Science
Consolmagno, Guy J., Sj
Paperback
The Elegant Universe: Superstrings, Hidden Dimensions, and the Quest for the Ultimate Theory
Greene, Brian
Paperback
Smithsonian Atlas of Space: A Map to the Universe from the Big Bang to the Future
Launius, Roger D.
Hardcover
To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Walker, Lindsey Nyx
Paperback
Welcome to the Universe: An Astrophysical Tour
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Strauss, Michael A.
Gott, J. Richard
Hardcover
Unseen Universe: Space as You've Never Seen It Before from the James Webb Space Telescope
Harper, Caroline
Hardcover
Do Your Ears Pop in Space? and 500 Other Surprising Questions about Space Travel
Mullane, R. Mike
Paperback
Hamlet's Mill: An Essay Investigating the Origins of Human Knowledge and Its Transmissions Through Myth
Von Dechend, Hertha
de Santillana, Giorgio
Paperback
Spirits Dancing: The Night Sky, Indigenous Knowledge, and Living Connections to the Cosmos
Novitsky, Travis
Lee, Annette S.
Paperback
Webb's Universe: The Space Telescope Images That Reveal Our Cosmic History
Aderin-Pocock, Maggie
Hardcover
To Infinity and Beyond: A Journey of Cosmic Discovery
Walker, Lindsey Nyx
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Hardcover
Time Travel in Einstein's Universe: The Physical Possibilities of Travel Through Time
Gott, J. Richard
Paperback
Making Space for Women: Stories from Trailblazing Women of Nasa's Johnson Space Center
Ross-Nazzal, Jennifer M.
Hardcover
Where the Moon Stands Still: Revealing the Cosmic Genius of Ohio's Indigenous Earthworks
Graham, James W.
Paperback
The Beginner's Guide to Constructing the Universe: The Mathematical Archetypes of Nature, Art, and Science
Schneider, Michael S.
Paperback
Cosmic Queries: Startalk's Guide to Who We Are, How We Got Here, and Where We're Going
Tyson, Neil Degrasse
Hardcover
The Grand Cosmic Story: An Illustrated Timeline 13.8 Billion Years and Beyond
Lomberg, Jon
Siegel, Ethan
Garlick, Mark A.
Hardcover
Rocket Men: The Daring Odyssey of Apollo 8 and the Astronauts Who Made Man's First Journey to the Moon
Kurson, Robert
Paperback
Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe
Greene, Brian
Paperback
The Natural Navigator, Tenth Anniversary Edition: The Rediscovered Art of Letting Nature Be Your Guide
Gooley, Tristan
Paperback
Constellations: The Story of Space Told Through the 88 Known Star Patterns in the Night Sky
Schilling, Govert
Hardcover
Reentry: Spacex, Elon Musk, and the Reusable Rockets That Launched a Second Space Age
Berger, Eric
Hardcover
Get to Know the Moon: Moon Phases, Features, and a Day-By-Day Guide to the Lunar Cycle
Poppele, Jonathan
Paperback
A City on Mars: Can We Settle Space, Should We Settle Space, and Have We Really Thought This Through?
Weinersmith, Kelly
Weinersmith, Zach
Hardcover
Higher, Faster, Longer: My Life in Aviation and My Quest for Spaceflight
Hall, Loretta
Funk, Wally
Paperback
The 4 Percent Universe: Dark Matter, Dark Energy, and the Race to Discover the Rest of Reality
Panek, Richard
Paperback
Painting the Cosmos: How Art and Science Intersect to Reveal the Secrets of the Universe
Imara, Nia
Paperback