The Strange History of British Archaeoastronomy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1558/jsrnc.v7i4.376Keywords:
archaeoastronomy, anthropology, megalithic, , alignments, pagan Britain, orientation, ethnoastronomy, Oxford conferences, methodology, astronomical heritage, British historyAbstract
Between 1965 and 1985, British archaeologists found themselves obliged to study the skies as well as the evidence beneath the earth. The sciences of astronomy, mathematics, and statistics bore down on the study of prehistoric monuments as never before, and a series of impressive books and conferences explored the alignments and proportions of ancient ceremonial sites. A quarter of a century later, all this excitement has arguably evaporated. The four different disciplines have largely separated again, and prehistory has been handed back to the excavators. Why have things should have fallen out in this way. Were solid gains in knowledge made during the period in which archaeoastronomy was fashionable? Or was it all just moonshine?References
Atkinson, R.J.C. 1959. Stonehenge and Avebury and Neighbouring Monuments (London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Of_ce).
Atkinson, J.C. 1966. ‘Moonshine on Stonehenge’, Antiquity 40: 212-16.
———. 1975. ‘Megalithic Astronomy: A Prehistorian’s Comments’, Journal of the History of Astronomy 6: 51.
Aveni, A.F. 1980. Skywatchers of Ancient Mexico (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press).
———. 1981. ‘Tropical Archeoastronomy’, Science 213.4504: 161-71. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.213.4504.161.
———. 1982. Archaeoastronomy in the New World: American Primitive Astronomy: Proceedings of an International Conference held at Oxford University, September 1981 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
———. 1988. New Directions in American Archaeoastronomy: Proceedings [of the] 46[th] International Congress of Americanists: Amsterdam, Netherlands 1988 (Oxford: B.A.R.)
———. 1989. World Archaeoastronomy: Selected Papers from the 2nd Oxford International Conference on Archaeoastronomy Held at Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, 13–17 January 1986 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
Aveni, A.F. (ed.). 1975. Archeoastronomy in Pre-Columbian America (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press).
Barnatt, John, and Gordon Moir. 1984. ‘Stone Circles and Megalithic Mathematics’, Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 50: 197-216.
Burl, Aubrey. 1980. ‘Science or Symbolism’, Antiquity 54: 191-200.
Critchlow, Keith. 1973. Time Stands Still: New Light on Megalithic Science (London: Gordon Fraser Gallery).
Flowers, Thomas William. 2008. Woodhenge Embryology (private publication).
———. 2009. Alexander Thom’s Megalithic Yard (private publication). Online: http://www.de_nitivestonehenge.com.
Graves, Tom. 1976. Dowsing (Penzance, UK: Turnstone).
Hawkes, Jacquetta. 1967. ‘God in the Machine’, Antiquity 41: 174-80.
Hawkins, Gerald S. 1963. ‘Stonehenge Decoded’, Nature 200: 306-8. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/200306a0.
Heath, Robin. 1998. Sun, Moon and Stonehenge (Cardigan, Wales: Bluestone Press).
———. 1999. Sun, Moon and Earth (Glastonbury, UK: Wooden Books).
———. 2002. Stonehenge (Glastonbury, UK: Wooden Books).
———. 2007. Alexander Thom (Cardigan, Wales: Bluestone Press).
———. 2009. The Moon and Ancient Calendars (Cardigan, Wales: Bluestone Press). Online: http://www.skyscript.co.uk.
Heggie, Douglas C. 1981. Megalithic Science (London: Thames & Hudson).
Heggie, Douglas C. (ed.). 1982. Archaeoastronomy in the Old World (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press). Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511898310.
Hitching, Francis. 1976. Earth Magic (London: Cassell).
Hoskin, Michael. 2001. Tombs, Temples and Their Orientations: A New Perspective on Mediterranean Prehistory (Bognor Regis, UK: Ocarina Books).
Hoyle, F. 1966a. ‘Speculations on Stonehenge’, Antiquity 40: 262-76.
———. 1966b. ‘Stonehenge: An Eclipse Predictor’, Nature 211: 454-56. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/211454a0.
———. 1967. ‘Hoyle on Stonehenge: Some Comments’, Antiquity 41: 92-95.
Hutton, Ronald. 2008. ‘Modern Pagan Festivals: A Study in the Nature of Tradition’, Folklore 119: 251-73. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00155870802352178.
———. 2009a. Blood and Mistletoe: The History of the Druids in Britain (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press).
———. 2009b. ‘Modern Druidry and Earth Mysteries’, Time and Mind 2.3: 313-32. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.2752/175169609X12464529903137.
Krupp, E.C. 1977. Skywatchers, Shamans, and Kings: Astronomy and the Archaeology of Power (New York: Wiley).
———. 1984. Archaeoastronomy and the Roots of Science (Epping, UK: Bowker).
Lockyer, Sir J.N. 1906. Stonehenge and Other British Stone Monuments Astronomically Considered (London: Macmillan).
MacKie, Euan. 1977. Science and Society in Prehistoric Britain (London: Paul Elek).
———. 2000. ‘Maeshowe and the Winter Solstice’, Antiquity 74: 62-74.
———. 2002. ‘The Structure and Skills of British Neolithic Society’, Antiquity 76: 666-68.
Metz, Hans. 1988. ‘A Personal Appreciation of Professor Alexander Thom’, in Ruggles 1988b: 14-30.
Michell, John. 1973 [1969]. The View Over Atlantis (London: Sphere Books).
———. 1977. A Little History of Astro-Archaeology (London: Thames & Hudson).
Murphy, Anthony, and Richard Moore. 2006. Island of the Setting Sun (Dublin: Liffey Press).
North, John. 1996. Stonehenge: Neolithic Man and the Cosmos (London: HarperCollins).
O’Connell, Aidan. 2013. Harvesting the Stars: A Pagan Temple at Lismullin, Co. Meath (NRA Scheme Monographs, 11; Dublin: National Roads Authority).
O’Sullivan, Muiris. 1993. Megalithic Art in Ireland (Dublin, UK: Town House & Country House).
Pennick, Nigel. 1979. The Ancient Science of Geomancy (London: Thames & Hudson).
Richards, Julian. 2005. Stonehenge (London: English Heritage).
———. 2007. Stonehenge: The Story So Far (London: English Heritage).
Ruggles, Clive. 1984. Megalithic Astronomy: A New Archaeological and Statistical Study of 300 Western Scottish Sites (British Archaeological Reports, 123; Oxford: B.A.R.).
———. 1988a. ‘The Stone Alignments of Argyll and Mull’, in Ruggles 1988b: 232-50.
———. 1997. ‘Astronomy and Stonehenge’, in B. Cunliffe and C. Renfrew (eds.), Science and Stonehenge (Oxford: Oxford University Press): 203-29.
———. 1999. Astronomy in Prehistoric Britain and Ireland (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press).
———. 2001. ‘Astronomy, Cosmology, Monuments and the Landscape in Prehistoric Ireland’, in C. Ruggles, F. Prendergast, and T. Ray (eds.), Astronomy, Cosmology and Landscape (Bognor Regis, UK: Ocarina): 51-52.
———. 2011. ‘Pushing Back the Frontiers or Still Running around the Same Circles? “Interpretative Archaeoastronomy” Thirty Years on’, Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 7 (Symposium S278): 1-18.
Ruggles, Clive (ed.). 1988b. Records in Stone: Papers in Memory of Alexander Thom (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press).
———. 2011. Archaeoastronomy and Ethnoastronomy : Building Bridges between Cultures: Proceedings of the 278th Symposium of the International Astronomical Union and ‘Oxford IX’ International Symposium on Archaeoastronomy Held in Lima, Peru, January 5–14, 2011. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
Ruggles, Clive, and Alisdair Whittle (eds.). 1981. Astronomy and Society in Britain during the Period 4000–1500 BC (British Archaeological Reports, 88; Oxford: B.A.R.).
Ruggles, Clive, Bill Burton, David Hughes, Andrew Lawson, and Derek McNally. 2009. Stonehenge and Ancient Astronomy (London: Royal Astronomical Society).
Screeton, Paul. 1974. Quicksilver Heritage (Wellingborough, UK: Thorsons).
Somerville, H. Boyle. 1924. ‘Orientation in Prehistoric Monuments in the British Isles’, Archaeologia 73:193-224. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S026134090001033X.
———. 1927. ‘Orientation’, Antiquity 1: 31-41.
Sorrell, Alan. 1980. Early Wales Recreated (Cardiff: National Museum of Wales).
Stout, Adam. 2008. Creating Prehistory (London: Blackwell). Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781444302912.
Thom, Alexander. 1967. Megalithic Sites in Britain (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
———. 1971. Megalithic Lunar Observatories (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Thom, Alexander, and Archibald S. Thom. 1978. Megalithic Remains in Britain and Brittany (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Thom, Alexander, Archibald S. Thom, and Aubrey Burl. 1980. Megalithic Rings (Oxford, UK: British Archaeological Reports).
———. 1990. Stone Rows and Standing Stones (Oxford: British Archaeological Reports).
Thom, Archibald S. 1988. ‘A Personal Note about My Late Father’, in Ruggles 1988b: 3-13.
———. 1995. Walking in All of the Squares: Alexander Thom, Engineer and Archaeoastronomer (Glendaruel, Scotland: Argyll Publishing).
Thom, Archibald S., J.M.D. Ker, and T.R. Burrows. 1988. ‘The Bush Barrow Gold Lozenge’, Antiquity 62: 108-19.
Wood, John Edwin. 1978. Sun, Moon and Standing Stones (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Atkinson, J.C. 1966. ‘Moonshine on Stonehenge’, Antiquity 40: 212-16.
———. 1975. ‘Megalithic Astronomy: A Prehistorian’s Comments’, Journal of the History of Astronomy 6: 51.
Aveni, A.F. 1980. Skywatchers of Ancient Mexico (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press).
———. 1981. ‘Tropical Archeoastronomy’, Science 213.4504: 161-71. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.213.4504.161.
———. 1982. Archaeoastronomy in the New World: American Primitive Astronomy: Proceedings of an International Conference held at Oxford University, September 1981 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
———. 1988. New Directions in American Archaeoastronomy: Proceedings [of the] 46[th] International Congress of Americanists: Amsterdam, Netherlands 1988 (Oxford: B.A.R.)
———. 1989. World Archaeoastronomy: Selected Papers from the 2nd Oxford International Conference on Archaeoastronomy Held at Merida, Yucatan, Mexico, 13–17 January 1986 (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
Aveni, A.F. (ed.). 1975. Archeoastronomy in Pre-Columbian America (Austin, TX: University of Texas Press).
Barnatt, John, and Gordon Moir. 1984. ‘Stone Circles and Megalithic Mathematics’, Proceedings of the Prehistoric Society 50: 197-216.
Burl, Aubrey. 1980. ‘Science or Symbolism’, Antiquity 54: 191-200.
Critchlow, Keith. 1973. Time Stands Still: New Light on Megalithic Science (London: Gordon Fraser Gallery).
Flowers, Thomas William. 2008. Woodhenge Embryology (private publication).
———. 2009. Alexander Thom’s Megalithic Yard (private publication). Online: http://www.de_nitivestonehenge.com.
Graves, Tom. 1976. Dowsing (Penzance, UK: Turnstone).
Hawkes, Jacquetta. 1967. ‘God in the Machine’, Antiquity 41: 174-80.
Hawkins, Gerald S. 1963. ‘Stonehenge Decoded’, Nature 200: 306-8. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/200306a0.
Heath, Robin. 1998. Sun, Moon and Stonehenge (Cardigan, Wales: Bluestone Press).
———. 1999. Sun, Moon and Earth (Glastonbury, UK: Wooden Books).
———. 2002. Stonehenge (Glastonbury, UK: Wooden Books).
———. 2007. Alexander Thom (Cardigan, Wales: Bluestone Press).
———. 2009. The Moon and Ancient Calendars (Cardigan, Wales: Bluestone Press). Online: http://www.skyscript.co.uk.
Heggie, Douglas C. 1981. Megalithic Science (London: Thames & Hudson).
Heggie, Douglas C. (ed.). 1982. Archaeoastronomy in the Old World (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press). Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511898310.
Hitching, Francis. 1976. Earth Magic (London: Cassell).
Hoskin, Michael. 2001. Tombs, Temples and Their Orientations: A New Perspective on Mediterranean Prehistory (Bognor Regis, UK: Ocarina Books).
Hoyle, F. 1966a. ‘Speculations on Stonehenge’, Antiquity 40: 262-76.
———. 1966b. ‘Stonehenge: An Eclipse Predictor’, Nature 211: 454-56. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/211454a0.
———. 1967. ‘Hoyle on Stonehenge: Some Comments’, Antiquity 41: 92-95.
Hutton, Ronald. 2008. ‘Modern Pagan Festivals: A Study in the Nature of Tradition’, Folklore 119: 251-73. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00155870802352178.
———. 2009a. Blood and Mistletoe: The History of the Druids in Britain (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press).
———. 2009b. ‘Modern Druidry and Earth Mysteries’, Time and Mind 2.3: 313-32. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.2752/175169609X12464529903137.
Krupp, E.C. 1977. Skywatchers, Shamans, and Kings: Astronomy and the Archaeology of Power (New York: Wiley).
———. 1984. Archaeoastronomy and the Roots of Science (Epping, UK: Bowker).
Lockyer, Sir J.N. 1906. Stonehenge and Other British Stone Monuments Astronomically Considered (London: Macmillan).
MacKie, Euan. 1977. Science and Society in Prehistoric Britain (London: Paul Elek).
———. 2000. ‘Maeshowe and the Winter Solstice’, Antiquity 74: 62-74.
———. 2002. ‘The Structure and Skills of British Neolithic Society’, Antiquity 76: 666-68.
Metz, Hans. 1988. ‘A Personal Appreciation of Professor Alexander Thom’, in Ruggles 1988b: 14-30.
Michell, John. 1973 [1969]. The View Over Atlantis (London: Sphere Books).
———. 1977. A Little History of Astro-Archaeology (London: Thames & Hudson).
Murphy, Anthony, and Richard Moore. 2006. Island of the Setting Sun (Dublin: Liffey Press).
North, John. 1996. Stonehenge: Neolithic Man and the Cosmos (London: HarperCollins).
O’Connell, Aidan. 2013. Harvesting the Stars: A Pagan Temple at Lismullin, Co. Meath (NRA Scheme Monographs, 11; Dublin: National Roads Authority).
O’Sullivan, Muiris. 1993. Megalithic Art in Ireland (Dublin, UK: Town House & Country House).
Pennick, Nigel. 1979. The Ancient Science of Geomancy (London: Thames & Hudson).
Richards, Julian. 2005. Stonehenge (London: English Heritage).
———. 2007. Stonehenge: The Story So Far (London: English Heritage).
Ruggles, Clive. 1984. Megalithic Astronomy: A New Archaeological and Statistical Study of 300 Western Scottish Sites (British Archaeological Reports, 123; Oxford: B.A.R.).
———. 1988a. ‘The Stone Alignments of Argyll and Mull’, in Ruggles 1988b: 232-50.
———. 1997. ‘Astronomy and Stonehenge’, in B. Cunliffe and C. Renfrew (eds.), Science and Stonehenge (Oxford: Oxford University Press): 203-29.
———. 1999. Astronomy in Prehistoric Britain and Ireland (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press).
———. 2001. ‘Astronomy, Cosmology, Monuments and the Landscape in Prehistoric Ireland’, in C. Ruggles, F. Prendergast, and T. Ray (eds.), Astronomy, Cosmology and Landscape (Bognor Regis, UK: Ocarina): 51-52.
———. 2011. ‘Pushing Back the Frontiers or Still Running around the Same Circles? “Interpretative Archaeoastronomy” Thirty Years on’, Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union 7 (Symposium S278): 1-18.
Ruggles, Clive (ed.). 1988b. Records in Stone: Papers in Memory of Alexander Thom (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press).
———. 2011. Archaeoastronomy and Ethnoastronomy : Building Bridges between Cultures: Proceedings of the 278th Symposium of the International Astronomical Union and ‘Oxford IX’ International Symposium on Archaeoastronomy Held in Lima, Peru, January 5–14, 2011. (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press).
Ruggles, Clive, and Alisdair Whittle (eds.). 1981. Astronomy and Society in Britain during the Period 4000–1500 BC (British Archaeological Reports, 88; Oxford: B.A.R.).
Ruggles, Clive, Bill Burton, David Hughes, Andrew Lawson, and Derek McNally. 2009. Stonehenge and Ancient Astronomy (London: Royal Astronomical Society).
Screeton, Paul. 1974. Quicksilver Heritage (Wellingborough, UK: Thorsons).
Somerville, H. Boyle. 1924. ‘Orientation in Prehistoric Monuments in the British Isles’, Archaeologia 73:193-224. Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S026134090001033X.
———. 1927. ‘Orientation’, Antiquity 1: 31-41.
Sorrell, Alan. 1980. Early Wales Recreated (Cardiff: National Museum of Wales).
Stout, Adam. 2008. Creating Prehistory (London: Blackwell). Doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/9781444302912.
Thom, Alexander. 1967. Megalithic Sites in Britain (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
———. 1971. Megalithic Lunar Observatories (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Thom, Alexander, and Archibald S. Thom. 1978. Megalithic Remains in Britain and Brittany (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Thom, Alexander, Archibald S. Thom, and Aubrey Burl. 1980. Megalithic Rings (Oxford, UK: British Archaeological Reports).
———. 1990. Stone Rows and Standing Stones (Oxford: British Archaeological Reports).
Thom, Archibald S. 1988. ‘A Personal Note about My Late Father’, in Ruggles 1988b: 3-13.
———. 1995. Walking in All of the Squares: Alexander Thom, Engineer and Archaeoastronomer (Glendaruel, Scotland: Argyll Publishing).
Thom, Archibald S., J.M.D. Ker, and T.R. Burrows. 1988. ‘The Bush Barrow Gold Lozenge’, Antiquity 62: 108-19.
Wood, John Edwin. 1978. Sun, Moon and Standing Stones (Oxford: Oxford University Press).
Published
2014-03-13
Issue
Section
Articles
How to Cite
Hutton, R. (2014). The Strange History of British Archaeoastronomy. Journal for the Study of Religion, Nature and Culture, 7(4), 376-396. https://doi.org/10.1558/jsrnc.v7i4.376
