NATS 1750 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Stonehenge, Passage Grave, Newgrange
17 Nov 2016
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Video 1
Lecture 1
History of Astronomy
-Throughout the world we find evidence that prehistoric mankind developed the ability
to predict the cycles of the sky.
-Moon sets westward every 24 hours
-Mankind noticed the difference between stars and planets due to the fact that planets
changed position as the year progressed.
-Earliest evidence that the motion of the sun was well understood enough to predict its
behaviour
-Newgrange passage tomb (Ireland) , Stone Henge (Scotland), Sundagger (New
Mexico) *Archaeoastronomy the study of such places”
Newgrange: Roof box aligned with winter solstice sunrise
3200 BC
Large stone tomb on east coast of Ireland
1/3 Baseball stadium size
Oldest known roofed structure
New granges rooftop box is aligned with the winter solstice sunrise
Roof box faces the direction the sunrises on the shortest day of the year Dec 21
The alignment of the tomb likely reflects a belief in rebirth or reincarnation
Associated with rebirth because after dec 21 when the light shines through the tomb
everyday gets longer and longer meaning theres more sun leading to warming of the
ground and rebirth of grass,plants etc
By associating a tomb with the day of rebirth the suggestion is that the builder of
Newgranges probably believed in some form of reincarnation.
!1
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Document Summary
Throughout the world we nd evidence that prehistoric mankind developed the ability to predict the cycles of the sky. Mankind noticed the difference between stars and planets due to the fact that planets changed position as the year progressed. Earliest evidence that the motion of the sun was well understood enough to predict its behaviour. Newgrange passage tomb (ireland) , stone henge (scotland), sundagger (new. Newgrange: roof box aligned with winter solstice sunrise. Large stone tomb on east coast of ireland. New granges rooftop box is aligned with the winter solstice sunrise. Roof box faces the direction the sunrises on the shortest day of the year dec 21. The alignment of the tomb likely re ects a belief in rebirth or reincarnation. Associated with rebirth because after dec 21 when the light shines through the tomb everyday gets longer and longer meaning theres more sun leading to warming of the ground and rebirth of grass,plants etc.
