About the Journal

Founders

Liz Henty, University of Wales Trinity Saint David, United Kingdom
Fabio Silva, Bournemouth University, United Kingdom

Editor-in-Chief

Ioannis Liritzis, Alma Mater Europaea University, Slovenia

The focus of the Journal of Skyscape Archaeology is on relationships between material culture and the celestial dome, as perceived by skywatchers since the remote past. Whether from astonishment or as the result of meticulous, detailed observation of the perpetual motion of circles and orbits, the stars and celestial bodies have been appropriated by all peoples for their earthly pursuits. This intimate relationship between skyscape and human perception is expressed in rituals and religion, in the intentional orientations of sacred spaces, in topographical markers and in the way calendars were formulated to meet daily needs. The broad field of archaeoastronomy – the study of how cultures have understood, interpreted and integrated celestial phenomena into their lives – often intersects with various ontologies (systems of being) and cosmologies (models of the universe). As such, JSA’s scope includes related disciplines including the history of the pertinent branches of science and mathematics as well as the use of historical documents in astronomy.

JSA is committed to publishing scholarly research on how astronomy functions and the communities, cultures and ideologies that have underpinned it in various contexts. Topics pertinent to the journal span all time periods and geographical locations, from antiquity to the present. Methodological approaches from Indigenous studies, archaeology, anthropology and archaeoastronomy may be incorporated into investigations. Topics to be considered relate to every facet of the legacy and history of astronomy. This comprises research that situates the nature and development of astronomy within historical, cultural, sociopolitical and economic contexts.

Under the aegis of skyscape archaeology, the journal accepts articles falling within but not limited to the following content:

  • Archaeoastronomy
  • Ethnoastronomy
  • Cultural astronomy
  • Anthropology and history
  • History of astronomical devices
  • Intangible astronomy
  • Ontologies in archaeoastronomy (sacred space and time, interconnectedness, celestial beings and deities)
  • Cosmologies in archaeoastronomy (sky-based cosmologies, solar and lunar cosmologies, cosmologies based on seasonal cycles, mythological cosmologies)
  • Interplay between archaeoastronomy, ontology and cosmology
  • Ritual and cultural continuity
  • Astronomy’s role in human development
  • Integration of myth and science
  • Mathematics in ancient astronomy

 

Frequency: From 2015, 2 Issues per volume year (June & December)
ISSN (Print): 2055-348X
ISSN (Online): 2055-3498