Duane Hamacher
University of Melbourne, Physics, Faculty Member
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Cultural Astronomy, Archaeoastronomy, Ethnoastronomy, Historical Astronomy, History of Science, Ethnogeology, and 10 moreEthnomathematics, Science Education, Science Communication, Meteorites, Geomythology, Meteoritics, History of Astronomy, Rock Art (Archaeology), Philosophy of Science, and Apocalypticism edit
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I'm Associate Professor of Cultural Astronomy in the School of Physics at the University of Melbourne, Australia. My ... moreI'm Associate Professor of Cultural Astronomy in the School of Physics at the University of Melbourne, Australia. My research focuses on astronomy in a cultural, social, historical, and heritage context. I have been collaborating with Torres Strait Islander elders and artists to document their star knowledge.
I recently returned from a year as a CAPAS Fellow in the Centre for Apocalyptic and Post-Apocalyptic Studies at the University of Heidelberg, Germany (2022 to 2023) edit
Our eyes have been drawn away from the heavens to our screens. We no longer look to the sky to forecast the weather, predict the seasons or plant our gardens. Most of us cannot even see the Milky Way. But First Nations Elders of the world... more
Our eyes have been drawn away from the heavens to our screens. We no longer look to the sky to forecast the weather, predict the seasons or plant our gardens. Most of us cannot even see the Milky Way. But First Nations Elders of the world still maintain this knowledge, and there is much we can learn from them.
These Elders are expert observers of the stars. They teach that everything on the land is reflected in the sky, and everything in the sky is reflected on the land. How does this work, and how can we better understand our place in the universe?
Guided by six Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders, Duane Hamacher takes us on a journey across space and time to reveal the wisdom of the first astronomers. These living systems of knowledge challenge conventional ideas about the nature of science and the longevity of oral tradition. Indigenous science is dynamic, adapting to changes in the skies and on earth, pointing the way for a world facing the profound disruptions of climate change.
100% of author royalties go to charity.
The First Astronomers shows us how respectful collaborations can drive exciting and innovative solutions to global challenges that impact us all.
These Elders are expert observers of the stars. They teach that everything on the land is reflected in the sky, and everything in the sky is reflected on the land. How does this work, and how can we better understand our place in the universe?
Guided by six Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders, Duane Hamacher takes us on a journey across space and time to reveal the wisdom of the first astronomers. These living systems of knowledge challenge conventional ideas about the nature of science and the longevity of oral tradition. Indigenous science is dynamic, adapting to changes in the skies and on earth, pointing the way for a world facing the profound disruptions of climate change.
100% of author royalties go to charity.
The First Astronomers shows us how respectful collaborations can drive exciting and innovative solutions to global challenges that impact us all.
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Native American Studies, Archaeology, Physics, and 15 moreAnthropology, Philosophy of Science, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Sciences, Science Education, Cultural Heritage, Ethnography, History of Astronomy, Archaeoastronomy, Traditional Environmental Knowledge, Ethnoastronomy, Orality, Cultural Astronomy, and Astronomy
As scientific organisations work to decolonise their respective fields, Indigenous languages, ontologies, and epistemologies are being recognised for their important contributions to the canon of human knowledge as well as the practice of... more
As scientific organisations work to decolonise their respective fields, Indigenous languages, ontologies, and epistemologies are being recognised for their important contributions to the canon of human knowledge as well as the practice of scientific research. One of the initial steps taken by scientific organisations is to recognise Indigenous languages with special reference to nomenclature. The astronomical community is leading this effort by establishing protocols and guidelines for the naming of celestial objects and phenomena, and formally adopting Indigenous names for stars, planetary features, and asteroids, as well re-naming astronomical and space facilities, such as observatories. This paper focuses on designing protocols and
guidelines for naming terrestrial meteorite craters.
guidelines for naming terrestrial meteorite craters.
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Anthropology, Philosophy, and 15 moreIndigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Humanities, Languages and Linguistics, Social Sciences, Australian Studies, Ethnography, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Linguistics, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, and Nomenclature
Eclipse Chasers is a guide to past and future Australian total solar eclipses, exploring historical and cultural knowledge, as well as featuring five upcoming eclipses that will be visible in Australia. The science of eclipses is... more
Eclipse Chasers is a guide to past and future Australian total solar eclipses, exploring historical and cultural knowledge, as well as featuring five upcoming eclipses that will be visible in Australia. The science of eclipses is explained, as well as how to prepare for an eclipse and view it safely. For upcoming eclipses the best locations to view each one are revealed, alongside tips for taking photographs. The book also reveals untold stories of how past Australian astronomers observed the total eclipses that have occurred since European settlement, and how these eclipses were celebrated in popular culture, poetry and art. It explores the great significance of solar eclipses for First Nations peoples, and their observations and cultural meanings. Eclipse Chasers showcases the drama and beauty of total solar eclipses and is essential for anyone fascinated by these amazing events.
Research Interests:
History, Cultural History, Sociology, Archaeology, Anthropology, and 15 morePhilosophy of Science, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Sciences, Science Communication, Science Education, History of Mathematics, Cultural Heritage, Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous Peoples, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, and Astronomy
Many cultures share common constellations and common narratives about the stars in the night sky. Previous research has shown that this overlap in asterisms, minimal star groupings inside constellations, is clearly present across 22... more
Many cultures share common constellations and common narratives about the stars in the night sky. Previous research has shown that this overlap in asterisms, minimal star groupings inside constellations, is clearly present across 22 distinct culture groups and can be explained in part by properties of individual stars (brightness) and properties of pairs of stars (proximity) (Kemp, Hamacher, Little and Cropper, 2022). The same work, however, found no evidence that properties of triples (angle) and quadruples (good continuation) predicted constellation formation. We developed a behavioural experiment to explore how individuals form constellations under conditions that reduce cultural learning. We found that participants independently selected and connected similar stars, and that their responses were predicted by two properties of triples (angle and even spacing) in addition to the properties of brightness and proximity supported by previous work. Our findings lend further evidence to the theory that commonality of constellations across cultures is not a result of shared human history but rather stems from shared human nature.
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, and 15 moreCognitive Science, Social Psychology, Archaeology, Anthropology, Perception, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Behavioral Sciences, Social Sciences, History of Astronomy, Social History, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, Society, and Physics and Astronomy
Aboriginal people have lived in Australia, continuously, for tens of thousands of years. Over that time, they developed complex knowledge systems that were committed to memory and passed to successive generations through oral tradition.... more
Aboriginal people have lived in Australia, continuously, for tens of thousands of years. Over that time, they developed complex knowledge systems that were committed to memory and passed to successive generations through oral tradition. The length of time oral traditions can be passed down while maintaining vitality is a topic of ongoing debate in the social sciences. In recent years, scientists have weighed into the debate by studying traditions that describe natural events, such as volcanic eruptions and meteorite impacts, which can be dated using scientific techniques. Here, we bring together a trans-disciplinary team of scholars to apply this approach to Tasmanian Aboriginal (palawa) oral traditions that were recorded in the early nineteenth century. These traditions describe the flooding of the Bassian Land Bridge connecting Tasmania to mainland Australia and the presence of a culturally significant "Great South Star", identified as Canopus (α Carinae). Utilising bathymetric and topographic data of the land and sea floor in the Bass Strait, we estimate the Bassian Land Bridge was finally submerged approximately 11,960 years Before Present (BP). We then calculate the declination of the star Canopus over the last precessional cycle (26,000 years) to show that it was at a far southerly declination (δ <-75°) between 16,300-11,800 years BP, reaching its minimum declination approximately 14,000 years ago. These lines of evidence provide a terminus ante quem of the Tasmanian traditions to the end of the Late Pleistocene. This paper supports arguments that the longevity of orality can exceed ten millennia, providing critical information essential to the further development of theoretical frameworks regarding the archaeology of orality.
Research Interests:
History, Ethnohistory, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, and 15 moreAnthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Sciences, Australian Studies, Cultural Heritage, Ethnography, Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Australian Indigenous Studies, Australian History, Orality, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, and Oral History and Memory
Humans have long held a deep connection to the Sun, Moon and stars. They are used to measure time, forecast weather, mark seasonal change, navigate across land and sea, while doubling as a mental map and memory space. “As is above, so is... more
Humans have long held a deep connection to the Sun, Moon and stars. They are used to measure time, forecast weather, mark seasonal change, navigate across land and sea, while doubling as a mental map and memory space. “As is above, so is below” as Indigenous elders teach. The knowledge generated and developed to explain the movements of the stars and link those to events on Earth must be passed to successive generations in some form. Oral tradition is a primary mode of knowledge transferral, encompassing the stories and narratives, songs and dances, poems and legends that are essential for committing large quantities of information to memory. Knowledge transmission also involves the tangible. Stones may be erected to mark out the motions of celestial bodies, temples are constructed with orientations that reflect the importance of the Sun or Moon, while the layouts of villages and cities may reflect the complex cosmology of a culture in a way that conceptualised their place in the universe. One of the earliest forms of tangible heritage is that of rock art: motifs drawn/painted (pictographs) or carved (petroglyphs) into stone represent literal and abstract views of life, ideas and positionality in the world. Rock art is of particular interest to many archaeoastronomers as it is a puzzle that poses a significant challenge. Do these motifs represent something astronomical? What and how?
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, Anthropology, and 15 morePhilosophy, Indigenous Studies, Social Sciences, Australian Studies, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Rock Art (Archaeology), Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Orality, Cultural Astronomy, Prehistoric Rock Art, and Astronomy
The intricate layers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander astronomical knowledge are mapped out in the stars and passed down through song, dance, narrative, and of course what we think of as 'art'. Art is often focused on aesthetic,... more
The intricate layers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander astronomical knowledge are mapped out in the stars and passed down through song, dance, narrative, and of course what we think of as 'art'. Art is often focused on aesthetic, but more importantly, it is a visual embodiment of knowledge. Many years ago, Dharawal elder Les Bursill explained at a conference in Wollongong that "Indigenous art conveys knowledge. Yes, it looks pretty, but that is not its primary purpose." As obvious as this may seem, it reveals a fact not often recognised in the public domain. Walk into any Indigenous art gallery in the tourist hub of a major city and information about the work of art, if any is provided, often comprises little more than a few details about the author, the dimensions and materials of the work, and usually a title. Press for the deeper meaning or any accompanying stories, and little is known or proffered.
Research Interests:
Sociology, Archaeology, Musicology, Anthropology, Art History, and 15 moreIndigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Sciences, Ethnomusicology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Anthropology Of Dance, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Ethnology, Indigenous Peoples, Contemporary Indigenous Arts, Visual Arts, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, and Indigenous Art History
The study of Indigenous knowledge related to the night sky, and the layers of this knowledge developed through scientific processes (astronomy) have become an area of intense academic, educational, and public interest over the last 20... more
The study of Indigenous knowledge related to the night sky, and the layers of this knowledge developed through scientific processes (astronomy) have become an area of intense academic, educational, and public interest over the last 20 years. Academic collaborations with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and Elders are producing a constant stream of research outputs, revealing an increasing depth of traditional knowledge about the Sun, Moon, planets, and stars and the multitude of ways this knowledge is applied. Much of this work challenges accepted narratives in public and academic discourse, as well as reshaping the history and philosophy of science. The University of Melbourne is currently a global leader in the study of Indigenous astronomy, as well as one of the few leading institutions globally that engages in structured research, teaching, and public programs in cultural astronomy. Outputs include books, educational curricula, astro-tourism, gallery and museum exhibitions, musical and theatrical performances, commemorative coins, films and documentaries, and formal names for stars and asteroids recognised by the International Astronomical Union. The state of Victoria, the city of Melbourne, and the University of Melbourne have all played a key role in the history of Indigenous astronomy research, with connections going back more than 160 years. This chapter examines the history of the discipline, how the University of Melbourne has been a central player in this development, and the various programs in this space.
Research Interests:
History, Cultural History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, and 15 moreAnthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Sciences, Australian Studies, Cultural Heritage, Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Indigenous Peoples, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, and University
A novel methodology, which we call significant horizons, ranks aboriginal cultural sites according to their potential for astronomical utilisation. This is done by taking into consideration a cultural site's location and position within... more
A novel methodology, which we call significant horizons, ranks aboriginal cultural sites according to their potential for astronomical utilisation. This is done by taking into consideration a cultural site's location and position within the environment and examines the surrounding horizon profile from that place. We rank each site on the number of solar, lunar and stellar alignments that occur on "notches" and "points" along accurate and realistic computer-generated horizon profiles using the horizon software package. Here, we examine 24 aboriginal stone arrangement sites within New South Wales, Australia, to statistically determine whether these sites could serve an astronomical function alongside their utilitarian cultural and ceremonial functions. Our results suggest that for many, but not necessarily all, stone arrangement sites studied here appear to have been deliberately placed within the landscape to take advantage of the local horizon for astronomy. We conclude that significant horizons is a useful methodology that has widespread applications for cultural astronomy research, both within Australia and internationally. Warning to Aboriginal Readers: This paper contains brief references to Aboriginal cultural sites, including sites that may have been used for initiations. Apart from inferred possible astronomical connections to these sites, other cultural use and practices are not discussed, as it is restricted
Research Interests:
History, Ethnohistory, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, and 14 moreAnthropology, Statistics, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Ethnoarchaeology, Ethnography, Landscape Archaeology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Rock Art (Archaeology), Australia, History of Astronomy, Archaeoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, and Astronomy
Astronomy plays a significant role in the culture of many Australian Indigenous peoples. Traditional Indigenous Australians had an extensive knowledge of the sky and the motion of the bodies within it. That astronomical knowledge was not... more
Astronomy plays a significant role in the culture of many Australian Indigenous peoples. Traditional Indigenous Australians had an extensive knowledge of the sky and the motion of the bodies within it. That astronomical knowledge was not only important culturally, but also reveals an intellectual complexity that has gone largely unrecognised, including a quest to understand phenomena such as tides and eclipses. More practically, they used that knowledge for navigation, and to regulate their calendars to maximise food resources.
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, and 12 moreAnthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Ethnography, Landscape Archaeology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Rock Art (Archaeology), Archaeoastronomy, Orality, Cultural Astronomy, History of Archaeology, and Astronomy
We present results of a preliminary study of the astronomical knowledge and traditions of the seven major Aboriginal language groups in the Sydney Basin. We establish a basic dataset of oral traditions (stories), vocabulary, and examples... more
We present results of a preliminary study of the astronomical knowledge and traditions of the seven major Aboriginal language groups in the Sydney Basin. We establish a basic dataset of oral traditions (stories), vocabulary, and examples of cultural heritage relating to astronomical traditions laying the foundation for further study. Using a combination of primarily ethno-historical documents and material culture, with preliminary ethnographic work with two consultants, we explore the relationship between Aboriginal astronomical knowledge and cultural traditions, cosmology, natural resources, calendar development, law, ceremony, and material traditions. We conduct a thematic analysis of the collected information and place this within a larger framework of comparative analysis with other Aboriginal communities in southeastern Australia in general. Warning to Aboriginal Readers: This paper contains the names of Aboriginal people who have passed away and references to cultural subjects that may not be appropriate for the reader.
Research Interests:
History, Ethnohistory, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, and 12 moreAnthropology, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Sciences, Ethnography, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Aboriginal History in Australia, Orality, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, and Indigneous Studies
Understanding the significance and importance of the complexity and evolution of the universe, as well as our place in the cosmos, merits research from scientific and cultural perspectives. To accomplish this, we must look for ways we can... more
Understanding the significance and importance of the complexity and evolution of the universe, as well as our place in the cosmos, merits research from scientific and cultural perspectives. To accomplish this, we must look for ways we can integrate scientific studies about the physical structure and evolution of the Universe with cultural systems of knowledge about the stars. This approach examines the Cultural Interface between astronomy and Indigenous Knowledges to find ways these different ways of knowing can provide mutual benefits.
Research Interests:
Critical Theory, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, Anthropology, and 15 moreIndigenous Studies, Knowledge Management, Research Methods and Methodology, Ethnography, Sociology of Knowledge, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Indigenous Knowledge, Australian History, Indigenous Peoples, Qualitative Research Methods, Aboriginal History in Australia, Orality, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, and Indigenous knowledge systems
On 17 June 1767, the Tahitian leader Purea watched a ‘canoe without an outrigger’ approach the shore of Matavai Bay. Alongside her was Tupaia, a priest/navigator from the island of Ra’iatea. He would have recalled the prophecy about such... more
On 17 June 1767, the Tahitian leader Purea watched a ‘canoe without an outrigger’ approach the shore of Matavai Bay. Alongside her was Tupaia, a priest/navigator from the island of Ra’iatea. He would have recalled the prophecy about such a canoe: “this land will be taken by them/The old rules will be destroyed” (Salmond 2005). Over the following days, Purea sent greetings out to the Dolphin. Captain Wallis grew increasingly distrustful and opened fire with his cannons. Tahitians fell dead, perhaps in the hundreds. In this way did the Enlightenment reach Oceania and the histories of Polynesia and Europe were ‘tangled together’.
Amongst the many entanglements was the practices of astronomy. Polynesian master navigators had an intimate knowledge of the night sky and navigation by the stars underpinned the remarkable Polynesian civilisation. Europeans, too, had practitioners well versed in astronomy. That science enabled them to sail across the globe. An astronomical measurement provoked Britain’s immediate return to the South Seas.
Amongst the many entanglements was the practices of astronomy. Polynesian master navigators had an intimate knowledge of the night sky and navigation by the stars underpinned the remarkable Polynesian civilisation. Europeans, too, had practitioners well versed in astronomy. That science enabled them to sail across the globe. An astronomical measurement provoked Britain’s immediate return to the South Seas.
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, and 15 moreSocial Sciences, Ethnography, Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Polynesian Studies, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Ethnology, Australian Indigenous Studies, Australian History, Oceania (Anthropology), Aboriginal History in Australia, Pacific History, Astronomy, and Oceania
Our understanding of the cosmos is rapidly deepening as we gain important scientific insights into the physical structure and evolution of the universe through modern-day astrophysical research using emerging technologies. Simultaneously,... more
Our understanding of the cosmos is rapidly deepening as we gain important scientific insights into the physical structure and evolution of the universe through modern-day astrophysical research using emerging technologies. Simultaneously, Indigenous and black communities around the world have fostered deep cultural and intellectual connections to the sky since time immemorial. The human connection to the cosmos is increasingly being affected by the loss of dark skies due to the ongoing colonial exploitation of land, sea, sky, and space. This has particularly damaging effects on Indigenous cultures, land rights, and knowledge systems as identity, knowledge, relationships and survival are dependent on being able to see the stars.
This chapter addresses the impacts of ongoing colonisation and exploitation of land, sky, and space on Indigenous Knowledge, heritage, and Indigenous rights in Australia and more broadly. We first discuss the erasure of Indigenous astronomical Knowledge through the loss of dark skies from increasing light pollution due to urban expansion and natural resource extraction. We follow this with observations on the historical and current exploitation of Indigenous lands for the construction of space research facilities. We then proceed to discuss critically; the colonisation of space through artificial satellites, space militarisation, plans to mine space bodies and establish human colonies on the Moon and Mars. We argue that the role of Indigenous sky rights around the globe is hugely important for safeguarding traditional knowledge and heritage by preserving dark skies, minimising the visible influence of artificial satellites and human presence in the sky, protecting Indigenous lands, and ensuring Indigenous and other marginalised groups are not exploited for the human colonisation of space and Indigenous lands given historical and ongoing inequities.
This chapter addresses the impacts of ongoing colonisation and exploitation of land, sky, and space on Indigenous Knowledge, heritage, and Indigenous rights in Australia and more broadly. We first discuss the erasure of Indigenous astronomical Knowledge through the loss of dark skies from increasing light pollution due to urban expansion and natural resource extraction. We follow this with observations on the historical and current exploitation of Indigenous lands for the construction of space research facilities. We then proceed to discuss critically; the colonisation of space through artificial satellites, space militarisation, plans to mine space bodies and establish human colonies on the Moon and Mars. We argue that the role of Indigenous sky rights around the globe is hugely important for safeguarding traditional knowledge and heritage by preserving dark skies, minimising the visible influence of artificial satellites and human presence in the sky, protecting Indigenous lands, and ensuring Indigenous and other marginalised groups are not exploited for the human colonisation of space and Indigenous lands given historical and ongoing inequities.
Research Interests:
Engineering, Sociology, Space Sciences, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, and 15 moreIndigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Landscape Architecture, Urban Planning, Culture, Indigenous Knowledge, Ethnography of urban spaces, Space Exploration, Cubesat Satellite Development, Astronomy, Space Program, Land Rights, Society, City and Regional Planning, Colonization studies, and Light Pollution
Here we discuss the different ways in which stars have been organized into groups and in which these groups have been endowed with meaning. Psychologists have studied how the human perceptual system organizes simple visual elements such... more
Here we discuss the different ways in which stars have been organized into groups and in which these groups have been endowed with meaning. Psychologists have studied how the human perceptual system organizes simple visual elements such as dots or contour fragments into groups, and within this literature constellation formation is often invoked as an example of perceptual grouping. To a good first approximation, the human visual system is invariant across cultures and therefore offers up similar candidate star groups to any two people observing the same region of the night sky. Given this foundation, culture then shapes which groups attract the shared attention of a community and the ways in which these groups are embedded in systems of stories.
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Psychology, Cognitive Psychology, Mathematics, and 15 moreAnthropology, Perception, Indigenous Studies, Social Sciences, Ethnography, Cosmology (Anthropology), Social and Cultural Anthropology, Cognition, History of Astronomy, Archaeoastronomy, Social History, Astrophysics, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, and Astronomy
Cultures around the world organise stars into constellations, or asterisms, and these groupings are often considered to be arbitrary and culture-specific. Yet there are striking similarities in asterisms across cultures and groupings such... more
Cultures around the world organise stars into constellations, or asterisms, and these groupings are often considered to be arbitrary and culture-specific. Yet there are striking similarities in asterisms across cultures and groupings such as Orion, the Big Dipper, the Pleiades and the Southern Cross are widely recognized across many different cultures. It has been informally suggested that these shared patterns are explained by common perceptual principles, such as the Gestalt laws of grouping, but there have been no systematic attempts to catalog asterisms that recur across cultures or to explain the perceptual basis of these groupings. Here we compile data from 27 cultures around the world to show that a simple computational model of perceptual grouping accounts for many of the recurring cross-cultural asterisms. As expected, asterisms such as Orion and the Big Dipper are common in our data, but we also find that lesser-known asterisms such as Delphinus and the head of Aries are both repeated across cultures and captured by our model. Our results suggest that basic perceptual principles account for more of the structure of asterisms across cultures than previously acknowledged and highlight ways in which specific cultures depart from this shared baseline.
Research Interests:
History, Cultural Studies, Psychology, Mathematics, Archaeology, and 15 moreAnthropology, Philosophy, Perception, Indigenous Studies, Cultural Heritage, Ethnography, Cosmology (Anthropology), Social and Cultural Anthropology, Indigenous Knowledge, Ethnology, Archaeoastronomy, Native American, Mathematical Psychology and Statistics, Cultural Astronomy, and Astronomy
Indigenous people have nurtured critical relationships with the stars, from keen observation and sustainable engineering to place-based ceremony, navigation, and celestial architecture for tens of thousands of years. The Indigenous... more
Indigenous people have nurtured critical relationships with the stars, from keen observation and sustainable engineering to place-based ceremony, navigation, and celestial architecture for tens of thousands of years. The Indigenous relationship and knowledge of the sky is exceptional in that it encompasses mind, body, heart, and spirit. This panel is organized by the IPS’s newly formed Indigenous Astronomy Working Group. It brings together Planetarium Professionals, Indigenous Star Knowledge Keepers, Indigenous Astronomy experts, Cultural Astronomers, and allies of Indigenous STEM communities from Canada, U.S., and internationally to discuss best practices for dissemination of indigenous astronomy specifically for science communicators and the planetarium community.
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, Physics, and 15 moreSpace Sciences, Anthropology, Education, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Cultural Heritage, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Indigenous Knowledge, Planetariums, Physics Education, Indigenous Peoples, Orality, First Nations of Canada, Astronomy, and Astronomy Education
Cultures around the world find meaning in the shapes of stars and features in the Milky Way. The striking appearance of our galaxy in the night sky serves as a reference to traditional knowledge, encoding science and culture to a memory... more
Cultures around the world find meaning in the shapes of stars and features in the Milky Way. The striking appearance of our galaxy in the night sky serves as a reference to traditional knowledge, encoding science and culture to a memory space, becoming part of their overarching cosmologies. This paper examines traditional views of the Milky Way from cultures around the world, primarily in the Southern Hemisphere. These views comprise dark constellations: familiar shapes made up of the dark dust lanes in the Milky Way, rather than the bright stars. Some of the better-known examples include the celestial emu from Aboriginal traditions of Australia, and the llama in Inca traditions of the Andes. We conduct a comparative analysis of cultural perceptions of dark constellations in the Milky Way, examining common cultural themes and meanings at the crossroads of Indigenous Knowledge and Western science.
Research Interests:
Sociology, Cultural Studies, Native American Studies, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, and 15 moreAnthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Sciences, Cultural Heritage, Landscape Archaeology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Oral history, Oral Traditions, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Indigenous Peoples, Cultural Anthropology, Cultural Astronomy, and Astronomy
Hopi and Navajo oral traditions describing the formation of Meteor "Barringer" Crater in Arizona are reported in early 20 th century news media, but some scholars claim these traditions are deliberate fabrications or misidentified stories... more
Hopi and Navajo oral traditions describing the formation of Meteor "Barringer" Crater in Arizona are reported in early 20 th century news media, but some scholars claim these traditions are deliberate fabrications or misidentified stories about more recent volcanic events. This paper critically analyses these accounts and examines explanations for the apparent traditions and the history of associated research at the crater. We show that Native American traditions about the crater were misappropriated and altered to generate interest in the structure's impact hypothesis. This was driven by financial interests that sought investments to mine for meteoritic iron falsely believed to be buried under the crater.
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Native American Studies, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, and 15 moreAnthropology, Philosophy of Science, Indigenous Studies, Ethnography, Landscape Archaeology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Cultural Landscapes, Hopi studies (Anthropology), Native American (History), Astronomy, Meteorites, Impact craters, Navajo Studies, and Cultural appropriation
Light pollution is actively destroying our ability to see the stars and disconnecting people from their deep-time connection to the sky, acting as a form of ongoing cultural and ecological genocide for Indigenous people around the world.... more
Light pollution is actively destroying our ability to see the stars and disconnecting people from their deep-time connection to the sky, acting as a form of ongoing cultural and ecological genocide for Indigenous people around the world. Many traditional knowledge systems are based on the stars and peoples' ablity to observe and interpret them for a range of practical, social, and scientific purposes is critical. Efforts to reduce, minimise, or eliminate light pollution are being achieved with varying degrees of success, but the increased use of blue-light emitting LEDs as a cost-effective solution is worsening problems related to human health, wildlife, and astronomical heritage for the benefit of capitalistic economic growth. We provide a brief overview illustrating some of the important connections that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people maintain with the stars, as well as the worsening damage growing light pollution is causing to this ancient knowledge. We propose a transdisciplinary approach to solving the issues of growing light pollution, using a foundation based on Indigenous philosophies and decolonising methodologies.
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, and 15 moreDesign, Interdisciplinarity, Landscape Architecture, Genocide Studies, Transdisciplinarity, Colonialism, Ecology, Public Health, Astrophysics, Environmental Pollution, Traditional Knowledge, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, LED Lighting, and Light Pollution
A major focus of the archaeoastronomical research conducted around the world focuses on understanding how ancient cultures observed sunrise and sunset points along the horizon, particularly at the solstices and equinoxes. Scholars argue... more
A major focus of the archaeoastronomical research conducted around the world focuses on understanding how ancient cultures observed sunrise and sunset points along the horizon, particularly at the solstices and equinoxes. Scholars argue that observations of these solar points are useful for developing calendars, informing ritual/ceremonial practices, and predicting seasonal change. This is the foundation of the Eurocentric four-season Julian (and later Gregorian) calendar. Famous examples include Stonehenge, Newgrange, Chichen Itza, and Chankillo. Studies at these and other sites tend to focus on solar point observations through alignments in stone arrangements, and the orientations of monuments. Despite the ongoing study of Indigenous Knowledge in Australia revealing a wealth of information about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander observations and interpretations of solar, lunar, and stellar properties and motions, very little has been published about the importance and use of solar point observations. The authors examine this topic through four case studies, based on methodological frameworks and approaches in ethnography, ethnohistory, archaeology, and statistics. Our findings show that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people observe the solstices and other significant sunrise/sunset points along the horizon for timekeeping and indicating seasonal change-but in ways that are rather different to the four-season model developed in Western Europe.
Research Interests:
History, Cultural History, Ethnohistory, Sociology, Cultural Studies, and 15 moreArchaeology, Anthropology, Statistics, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Sciences, Ethnoarchaeology, Ethnography, Landscape Archaeology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Oral Traditions, Indigenous Knowledge, Cultural Anthropology, Cultural Astronomy, and Astronomy
A Wiradjuri Dreaming connected to the Aboriginal creation ancestor Baiami, and enacted during a Burbung male initiation ceremony, was recorded by the Australian anthropologist R.H. Mathews in 1896. We investigate this further and conclude... more
A Wiradjuri Dreaming connected to the Aboriginal creation ancestor Baiami, and enacted during a Burbung male initiation ceremony, was recorded by the Australian anthropologist R.H. Mathews in 1896. We investigate this further and conclude that the Dreaming most likely relates to the annual movements of the constellations in the Wiradjuri night sky, with Baiami represented by the stars in the Greek constellation of Orion, and the terrestrial Emu featured in the Dreaming represented by the Wiradjuri ‘dark’ constellation of Gugurmin the Celestial Emu, formed from the dust bands of the Milky Way. The Celestial Emu may also represent Daramulun, another important ancestral figure associated with the Burbung, whose spirit descends from the Milky Way in emu form to take part in the male initiation ceremony. The Dreaming narrative has parallels with the Greek myth of Orion and the scorpion, represented by the constellation of Scorpius, in eternal pursuit of each other in the sky throughout the year. The Dreaming narrative recorded by Mathews also suggests a reference to the orientation of Baiami in Orion. He appears to be oriented the same way in the sky as Orion from Greek mythology, which is upside-down as seen from a Southern Hemisphere perspective. This is consistent with rock art depictions of Baiami from the Sydney Basin, and that of Nyeeruna, a creation ancestor of the Kokatha and Ngalea peoples from the Great Victoria Desert, South Australia, which shares similar characteristics and attributions with Baiami. The alternative ‘right-side-up’ orientation is also being investigated and will be the subject of a follow-up paper.
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, and 15 moreAnthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Sciences, Cultural Heritage, Ethnography, Landscape Archaeology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Oral history, Australia, Culture, Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous Peoples, Cultural Astronomy, and Astronomy
Indigenous peoples across the world observe the motions and positions of stars to develop seasonal calendars. Additionally, changing properties of stars, such as their brightness and colour, are also used for predicting weather. Combining... more
Indigenous peoples across the world observe the motions and positions of stars to develop seasonal calendars. Additionally, changing properties of stars, such as their brightness and colour, are also used for predicting weather. Combining archival studies with ethnographic fieldwork in Australia’s Torres Strait, we explore the various ways Indigenous peoples utilise stellar scintillation (twinkling) as an indicator for predicting weather and seasonal change, discussing the scientific underpinnings of
this knowledge. By observing subtle changes in the ways the stars twinkle, Meriam people gauge changing trade winds, approaching wet weather, and temperature changes. We then explore how the Northern Dene of Arctic North America utilise stellar scintillation to forecast weather.
this knowledge. By observing subtle changes in the ways the stars twinkle, Meriam people gauge changing trade winds, approaching wet weather, and temperature changes. We then explore how the Northern Dene of Arctic North America utilise stellar scintillation to forecast weather.
Research Interests:
History, Ethnohistory, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Physics, and 15 moreAnthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Knowledge Management, Ethnography, Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Oral history, Oral Traditions, Indigenous Knowledge, Indigenous Peoples, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, First Nations of Canada, and Astronomy
Studies in Australian Indigenous astronomical knowledge reveal few accounts of the visible planets in the sky. However, what information we do have tells us that Aboriginal people were close observers of planets and their motions, noting... more
Studies in Australian Indigenous astronomical knowledge reveal few accounts of the visible planets in the sky. However, what information we do have tells us that Aboriginal people were close observers of planets and their motions, noting the relative brightness of the planets, their motions along the ecliptic, retrograde motion, the relationship between Venus and its proximity to the Sun, Venus' connection to the Sun through zodiacal light, and the synodic cycle of Venus, particularly as it transitions from the Evening Star to the Morning Star. The dearth of descriptions of planets in Aboriginal traditions may be due to the gross incompleteness of recorded astronomical traditions, and of ethnographic bias and misidentification in the anthropological record. Ethnographic fieldwork with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities is revealing new, previously unrecorded knowledge about the planets and their related phenomena.
Research Interests:
History, Ancient History, Ethnohistory, Sociology, Archaeology, and 51 morePrehistoric Archaeology, Observational Astronomy, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Historical Archaeology, Social Sciences, Ethnoarchaeology, Australian Studies, History of Mathematics, Ethnography, Planetary Science, Indigenous education, Cosmology (Anthropology), Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Australian Indigenous languages, Australia, Oral Traditions, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Ethnology, Ethnography (Research Methodology), Australian Indigenous Studies, Australian History, Oral Tradition, Indigenous Peoples, Oral Traditions (Culture), Astrophysics, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Aboriginal education, Planetary Geology, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Planetary and Space Science, Astronomy, Planets, Aboriginal Studies, Celestial Mechanics, Astronomia, Orbital/Celestial Mechanics, Earth and Planetary Science, Orbital Mechanics, Australian Aboriginal Languages, Oral Traditon, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, and Nomadic/Indigenous People
English: To the Meriam Mir people of Mer (Murray Island) in the eastern Torres Strait, bright meteors are an important element of death customs and beliefs. We draw from a combination of ethno-historic studies and interviews with Meriam... more
English: To the Meriam Mir people of Mer (Murray Island) in the eastern Torres Strait, bright meteors are an important element of death customs and beliefs. We draw from a combination of ethno-historic studies and interviews with Meriam elders to understand the role of bright meteors (Maier) in Torres Strait traditions relating to spiritual elements of death rites using a framework of symbolic anthropology. We find that bright meteors serve as symbolic representations of death and mortuary purification practices and show how the physical properties of meteors are incorporated in ritual, belief, spirituality, and custom.
Meriam Mir: Meriamgize maier oditautlare nade eud onagri a mokakalam eud kerker. Kemerkemer daratkapda kikem kerkerira pardar, dorge a oka nako Torres Straitge eud tonar bud ueplare. Debe bibi maieride onatager eud ia onagri a nalu tonar able maierira seri/kakaper a dum able tonar umerem a simir akedrem.
Meriam Mir: Meriamgize maier oditautlare nade eud onagri a mokakalam eud kerker. Kemerkemer daratkapda kikem kerkerira pardar, dorge a oka nako Torres Straitge eud tonar bud ueplare. Debe bibi maieride onatager eud ia onagri a nalu tonar able maierira seri/kakaper a dum able tonar umerem a simir akedrem.
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, and 15 moreSocial Sciences, Death Studies, Ethnography, Meteoritics, Cosmology (Anthropology), Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Oral history, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Death and Burial (Archaeology), Ethnoastronomy, Melanesia (Anthropology), Cultural Astronomy, and Astronomy
The oral traditions of Aboriginal cultures across Australia contain references to the presence of multiple Suns in the sky at the same time. Explanations of this have been largely regarded as symbolic or mythological, rather than... more
The oral traditions of Aboriginal cultures across Australia contain references to the presence of multiple Suns in the sky at the same time. Explanations of this have been largely regarded as symbolic or mythological, rather than observations of natural phenomena. In this paper, we examine oral traditions describing multiple Suns and analyse interpretations that could explain them. Our analysis of the oral traditions concludes that descriptions of multiple Suns fall into two main categories: one describing the changes in the path of the Sun throughout the year, and the other describing observations of parhelia, an atmospheric phenomenon known as 'Sun dogs' that creates an optical illusion of multiple Suns in the sky at once. This analysis shows how Aboriginal people pay close attention to natural phenomena, assign them social meaning, and incorporate them into oral tradition.
Research Interests:
History, Ethnohistory, Sociology, Anthropology, Philosophy of Science, and 15 moreIndigenous Studies, Social Sciences, Ethnography, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Australian Indigenous languages, Oral Traditions, Indigenous Knowledge, Ethnology, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Cultural Anthropology, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, and Aboriginal Studies
Aboriginal people connect landscape to the positions of the Sun and Moon throughout the year for time reckoning, seasonal calendars, and mythology as a memory aide. This can include the rising or setting of the Sun, Moon, and stars over... more
Aboriginal people connect landscape to the positions of the Sun and Moon throughout the year for time reckoning, seasonal calendars, and mythology as a memory aide. This can include the rising or setting of the Sun, Moon, and stars over significant landscape features. A significant corpus of Wiradjuri (Wiradyuri) astronomical knowledge has been fragmented, lost, or damaged due to colonisation. To aid in reconstructing this knowledge, we develop a novel methodology to examine potential links between the landscape and celestial movements. Our methodology, which we call Significant Horizons, ranks Aboriginal cultural sites according to their potential for astronomical utilisation. To accomplish this, we consider an Aboriginal site's location and position within the environment and examine the horizon profile from that place. We rank each site on the number of solar and lunar alignments that occur on " notches " and " points " in horizon profiles. To accomplish this, we utilize and combine the Horizon software package to generate a landscape profile noting the positions of celestial bodies. We examine Aboriginal sites within Wiradjuri country of central New South Wales as a case study. Our ranking system enables us to predict whether Wiradjuri cultural sites, such as ceremonial grounds, are likely to be astronomically-significant. We predict that ceremonial sites will have a higher ranking than subsistence sites, which hold a more utilitarian function. Our results are consistent with this prediction. We suggest further refinements to the methodology by including stars of cultural significance into the horizon analysis. Notice to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people: This paper contains brief references to Aboriginal cultural sites, including sites that may have been used for initiations. Apart from inferred possible astronomical connections to these sites, other cultural use and practices are not discussed, as it is restricted.
Research Interests:
History, Cultural History, Ethnohistory, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, and 42 moreObservational Astronomy, Anthropology, Statistics, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Social Sciences, Ethnoarchaeology, History of Mathematics, Ethnography, Landscape Archaeology, Cosmology (Anthropology), Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Applied Statistics, Archaeological Method & Theory, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Ethnology, Ethnography (Research Methodology), Ethnomethodology, Archaeoastronomy, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous ecological knowledges and practices, Probability and statistics, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Aboriginal education, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Astronomy, Indigenous knowledge systems, Archaeoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Aboriginal Studies, Indigenous Knowledge Management System, Indigenous Knowledge and Technology, Ethnoastronomy Archeoastronomy, Nomadic/Indigenous People, Indigenous Knowledges, Archaeoastronomy SEAC, and Archaeoastronomy In Megalithic Culture
Aboriginal Australians carefully observe the properties and positions of stars, including both overt and subtle changes in their brightness, for subsistence and social application. These observations are encoded in oral tradition. I... more
Aboriginal Australians carefully observe the properties and positions of stars, including both overt and subtle changes in their brightness, for subsistence and social application. These observations are encoded in oral tradition. I examine two Aboriginal oral traditions from South Australia that describe the periodic changing brightness in three pulsating, red-giant variable stars: Betelgeuse (Alpha Orionis), Aldebaran (Alpha Tauri), and Antares (Alpha Scorpii). The Australian Aboriginal accounts stand as the only known descriptions of pulsating variable stars in any Indigenous oral tradition in the world. Researchers examining these oral traditions over the last century, including anthropologists and astronomers, missed the description of these stars as being variable in nature as the ethnographic record contained several misidentifications of stars and celestial objects. Arguably, ethnographers working on Indigenous Knowledge Systems should have academic training in both the natural and social sciences.
Research Interests:
Mythology And Folklore, Ethnohistory, Physics, Observational Astronomy, Anthropology, and 66 moreMythology, Philosophy, Philosophy of Science, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Australian Studies, Ethnography, Interdisciplinarity, Indigenous education, Sexual Behaviour, Religion and Sexuality, Cosmology (Anthropology), Social and Cultural Anthropology, Indigenous Research Methodologies, Indigenous Archaeololgy, Sexuality, Gender and Sexuality, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Anthropology and Sexuality, Oral history, History of Sexuality, Australia, Symbolism, Oral Traditions, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Ethnology, Variable Stars, Ethnography (Research Methodology), Australian Indigenous Studies, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Australian History, Oral Tradition, Indigenous Peoples, Oral Traditions (Culture), Sexuality And Culture, Indigenous ecological knowledges and practices, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Ethnoastronomy, Interdisciplinary Studies, Orality, Traditional Knowledge, Interdisciplinary research (Social Sciences), Prehistory, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Astronomy, Oral History and Memory, Indigenous knowledge systems, Indigenous Psychology, Interdisciplinary, Color symbolism, Interdisciplinary research, Sexual Behavior, Sexual Deviant Behaviour, Aboriginal Studies, Australian Aboriginal Languages, Stars, Anthropology of Religion, Physics and Astronomy, Ethnoastronomy Archeoastronomy, Nomadic/Indigenous People, and Oral Tradition Folk Tale
Song and dance are a traditional means of strengthening culture and passing knowledge to successive generations in the Torres Strait of northeastern Australia. Dances incorporate a range of apparatuses to enhance the performance, such as... more
Song and dance are a traditional means of strengthening culture and passing knowledge to successive generations in the Torres Strait of northeastern Australia. Dances incorporate a range of apparatuses to enhance the performance, such as dance machines (Zamiyakal) and headdresses (Dhari). The dances, songs, headdresses and dance machines work together to transfer important knowledge about subsistence survival, social structure, and cultural continuity. This paper explores how celestial phenomena inspire and inform music and dance.
Research Interests:
History, Ancient History, History of Science and Technology, Cultural History, Ethnohistory, and 134 moreSociology, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Music, Music History, Musicology, Observational Astronomy, Anthropology, Ethnolinguistics, Historical Anthropology, Visual Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Historical Sociology, Social Anthropology, Cultural Sociology, Historical Archaeology, Sociology of Education, Historical Linguistics, Social Sciences, Knowledge Management, Dance Studies, Ethnoarchaeology, Popular Music, Australian Studies, Ethnomusicology, History of Mathematics, Ethnography, Oral Tradition In Popular Music, Indigenous Languages, Landscape Archaeology, Sociology of Knowledge, Indigenous education, Cosmology (Anthropology), Social and Cultural Anthropology, Indigenous Research Methodologies, History of Science, Anthropology Of Dance, Historical Ethnomusicology, Archaeological Method & Theory, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Knowledge sharing, Australian Indigenous languages, Oral history, Australia, Australian society, Oral Traditions, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Indigenous Knowledge, Knowledge Society, Indigeneity, Cultural Musicology, History of Astronomy, Melanesia (Pacific Islands art), Ethnology, Knowledge Transfer, Ethnography (Research Methodology), Ethnomethodology, Ethnography of Communication, Australian Indigenous Studies, Indigenous Peoples Rights, Social History, Orale Traditions, Melanesian Religions, Linguistic ethnography, Australian History, Oral Tradition, Indigenous Peoples, Oral Traditions (Culture), Papua New Guinea, Indigenous ecological knowledges and practices, Ethnographic fieldwork, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Critical Musicology, Ethnographic Methods, Drumming and Percussion, Aboriginal education, Ethnoastronomy, Orality, Australian Aboriginal art, Melanesia (Anthropology), Stone artefacts (Archaeology), Indigenous Communication Theory, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Ethnoscience, Knowledge, Melanesia, Cosmology, Astronomy, Theory of Knowledge, Oral History and Memory, Historia, Indigenous knowledge systems, Historical Musicology, Human Artefact Interactions, Torres Strait, Aboriginal Rights, Sociología, Knowledge Communities, Aboriginal Studies, Australian cultural history, Astronomía, Papua, Astronomia, Colonial history of Papua New Guinea, Oceanic art, Melanesian studies, Tradición oral, History of Papua New Guinea, Australian Aboriginal Languages, Oral Traditon, Melanesian Culture, Indigenous Cosmologies, Papua New Guinea archaeology, Melanesia Anthropology, The Evolution of Music in Melanesia, Melanesian customary land and sea tenure, Ethnosciences, Folk songs, Australian Aboriginal Music, Contemporary Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander art, Ethnoastronomy Archeoastronomy, Nomadic/Indigenous People, Archeology, Melanesian Prehistory and History, Melanesian Languages, Ethnography of Melanesia, Ethnoastronomy, Archaeology, Ethnohistory, Melanesian archaeology, Oral Tradition Folk Tale, Cultural Astronomy (Ethnoastronomy), and Anthropology of Melanesia
The terms “environment” and “landscape” are commonly used in archaeology, sometimes interchangeably, yet they have different histories and different nuances. “Environment” is usually used to refer to the physical features of places, to... more
The terms “environment” and “landscape” are commonly used in
archaeology, sometimes interchangeably, yet they have different histories and
different nuances. “Environment” is usually used to refer to the physical features of
places, to the characteristics of place as external phenomena; “landscape”, on the
other hand, has been used more to refer to the cultural meaningfulness of place, to
how cultural perceptions affect how people engage with things and with each other.
The two different terms affect how, and what, we investigate about the human past.
archaeology, sometimes interchangeably, yet they have different histories and
different nuances. “Environment” is usually used to refer to the physical features of
places, to the characteristics of place as external phenomena; “landscape”, on the
other hand, has been used more to refer to the cultural meaningfulness of place, to
how cultural perceptions affect how people engage with things and with each other.
The two different terms affect how, and what, we investigate about the human past.
Research Interests:
Archaeology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Ethnoarchaeology, Cultural Heritage, and 13 moreEthnography, Landscape Archaeology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Indigenous Knowledge, Australian Indigenous Studies, Indigenous Peoples, Aboriginal History in Australia, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Aboriginal Studies, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and Australian Aboriginal cultural astronomy
We investigate an Australian Aboriginal cultural story that seems to describe an extraordinary series of astronomical events occurring at the same time. We hypothesise that this was a witnessed natural event and explore natural phenomena... more
We investigate an Australian Aboriginal cultural story that seems to describe an extraordinary series of astronomical events occurring at the same time. We hypothesise that this was a witnessed natural event and explore natural phenomena that could account for the description. We select a thunderstorm, total solar eclipse, and strong Aurora Australis as the most likely candidates, then conclude a plausible date of 764 CE. We evaluate the different factors that would determine whether all these events could have been visible, include meteorological data, alternative total solar eclipse dates, solar activity cycles, aurorae appearances, and sky brightness during total solar eclipses. We conduct this study as a test-case for rigorously and systematically examining descriptions of rare natural phenomena in oral traditions, highlighting the difficulties and challenges with interpreting this type of hypothesis.
Research Interests:
Mythology And Folklore, History, Ancient History, History of Science and Technology, Cultural History, and 137 moreEthnohistory, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Social Psychology, Cultural Geography, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Earth Sciences, Geology, Space Sciences, Observational Astronomy, Anthropology, Mythology, Philosophy, Philosophy of Science, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Media and Cultural Studies, Humanities, Social Anthropology, Cultural Sociology, Historical Archaeology, Social Research Methods and Methodology, Social Sciences, Research Methods and Methodology, Ethnoarchaeology, Science Education, Australian Studies, Research Methodology, History of Mathematics, Atmospheric Chemistry, Cultural Heritage, Ethnography, Atmospheric Science, Philosophy Of Mathematics, Methodology, Indigenous education, Qualitative methodology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Meteorology, Cultural Theory, Space Plasma Physics, Atmospheric Physics, Anthropology of space, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Australian Indigenous languages, Atmospheric Modeling, Oral history, Australia, Australian society, Science, Culture, Oral Traditions, Cross-Cultural Studies, Ethnographic Fieldwork (Anthropology), History and Philosophy of Physics, Indigenous Knowledge, Culture Studies, Folk legends, Interpretive research methodology, Ethnology, Cultural Memory, Ethnography (Research Methodology), Ethnomethodology, Quantitative methodology, Space Physics, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Atmospheric Dynamics, Social History, History of Meteorology, Orale Traditions, Australian History, Space Science, Oral Tradition, Cultural Heritage Management, Indigenous Peoples, Oral Traditions (Culture), Survey Research (Research Methodology), Indigenous ecological knowledges and practices, Ethnographic fieldwork, Geomythology, Environmental Humanities, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Activist Ethnography, Ethnographic Methods, Aboriginal education, Ethnoastronomy, Orality, Space, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Planetary and Space Science, Astronomy, Oral History and Memory, Myth, Folk Studies, Legends, Indigenous knowledge systems, Eclipse, Atmospheric sciences, Seasonal Weather forecast and applications in agiculture, Indigenous Psychology, Oral literature, Social Sciences and Humanities, Space Weather, Meteorology & Climatology, Weather, Aboriginal Studies, Humanities and Social Sciences, Australian cultural history, Weather Forecasting, Indigneous, Tradición oral, Australian Aboriginal Languages, Solar Eclipse, Oral Traditon, Indigenous Knowledge Management System, Humanities and Social Science, Physics, Earth and Space Sciences, Methodology and Review of Related Literature, Earth and Space Physics, Planetary Space Science, Indigneous Studies, Eclipses, Astronomy and Space Science, Indigenous Knowledge and Technology, Aurora Borealis, Indigneous Epstemology, Ethnoastronomy Archeoastronomy, Nomadic/Indigenous People, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, Indigenous Knowledges, Aboriginal Nutrition and Cultural and Traditional Knowledge, Earth and Space Sciences, History and Philosophy of Science, and Oral Tradition Folk Tale
The canopy of stars is a central presence in the daily and spiritual lives of Aboriginal Tasmanians. With the arrival of European colonists, Tasmanian astronomical knowledge and traditions were interrupted and dispersed. Fragments can be... more
The canopy of stars is a central presence in the daily and spiritual lives of Aboriginal Tasmanians. With the arrival of European colonists, Tasmanian astronomical knowledge and traditions were interrupted and dispersed. Fragments can be found scattered in the ethnographic and historical record throughout the nineteenth century. We draw from ethno-historical documents to analyse and reconstruct Aboriginal astronomical knowledge in Tasmania. This analysis demonstrates that stars, the Milky Way, constellations, dark nebula, the Sun, Moon, meteors, and aurorae held cultural, spiritual, and subsistence significance within the Aboriginal cultures of Tasmania. We move beyond a monolithic view of Aboriginal astronomical knowledge in Tasmania, commonly portrayed in previous research, to lay the groundwork for future ethnographic and archaeological fieldwork with Aboriginal elders and communities.
Research Interests:
History, Cultural History, Ethnohistory, Sociology, Cultural Studies, and 66 moreArchaeology, Anthropology, Historical Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Historical Sociology, Social Anthropology, Historical Archaeology, Social Sciences, Australian Studies, Cultural Heritage, Ethnography, Linguistic Anthropology, Indigenous education, Cosmology (Anthropology), Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Ecological Anthropology, Rock Art (Archaeology), Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Australian Indigenous languages, Oral history, Australia, Australian society, Culture, Oral Traditions, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, History and Philosophy of Physics, Indigenous Knowledge, Culture Studies, History of Astronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Indigenous Peoples Rights, Traditional Environmental Knowledge, Australian History, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous ecological knowledges and practices, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Ethnoastronomy, Orality, Traditional Knowledge, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Traditional Knowledge Systems, Astronomy, Oral History and Memory, Indigenous knowledge systems, Aboriginal Studies, Tasmania, Aboriginal knowledge, Australian Aboriginal Languages, Anthropology of Religion, Tasmanian Aborigines, Tasmanian History, Aboriginal Knowledges, Aboriginal Traditional Ecological Knowledge, History of Astronomy and Physics, Tasmanian colonial history, History of Pre-Telescopic Astronomy, Nomadic/Indigenous People, Tasmania - colonial history, Tasmanian Aborigines - genocide of, Extermination - Tasmanian Aborigines, Archeology, and Tasmanian Aboriginal Culture
Australian Indigenous astronomical traditions hint at a relationship between animals in the skyworld and the behaviour patterns of their terrestrial counterparts. In our continued study of Aboriginal astronomical traditions from the Great... more
Australian Indigenous astronomical traditions hint at a relationship between animals in the skyworld and the behaviour patterns of their terrestrial counterparts. In our continued study of Aboriginal astronomical traditions from the Great Victoria Desert, South Australia, we investigate the relationship between animal behaviour and stellar positions. We develop a methodology to test the hypothesis that the behaviour of these animals is predicted by the positions of their celestial counterparts at particular times of the day. Of the twelve animals identified in the Ooldean sky, the nine stellar (i.e. non-planet or non-galactic) associations were analysed and each demonstrated a close connection between animal behaviour and stellar positions. We suggest that this may be a recurring theme in Aboriginal astronomical traditions, requiring further development of the methodology.
Research Interests:
Ethnohistory, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, and 26 moreHuman-Animal Relations, Animal Behavior, Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Australia, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Animal Ecology, Ethnozoology, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous ecological knowledges and practices, Animal Behaviour, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Ethnoecology, Ancient Astronomy, Ethnoscience, Astronomy, Indigenous knowledge systems, Animal breeding and genetics, Philosophy and Sociology of Human/animal Relations, and Nomadic/Indigenous People
Early ethnographers and missionaries recorded Aboriginal languages and oral traditions across Australia. Their general lack of astronomical training resulted in misidentifications, transcription errors and omissions in these records. In... more
Early ethnographers and missionaries recorded Aboriginal languages and oral traditions across Australia. Their general lack of astronomical training resulted in misidentifications, transcription errors and omissions in these records. In western Victoria and southeast South Australia many astronomical traditions were recorded but, cur- iously, some of the brightest stars in the sky were omitted. Scholars claimed these stars did not feature in Aboriginal traditions. This continues to be repeated in the literature, but current research shows that these stars may in fact feature in Aboriginal traditions and could be seasonal calendar markers. This paper uses established techniques to identify seasonal stars in the traditions of the Kaurna Aboriginal people of the Adelaide Plains, South Australia.
Research Interests:
Cultural History, Ethnohistory, Landscape Ecology, Cultural Studies, Geography, and 66 moreHuman Geography, Cultural Geography, Archaeology, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Cultural Sociology, Historical Archaeology, Languages and Linguistics, Historical Linguistics, Ethnoarchaeology, Australian Studies, Cultural Heritage, Ethnography, Linguistic Anthropology, Landscape Archaeology, Indigenous education, Cosmology (Anthropology), Social and Cultural Anthropology, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Australian Indigenous languages, Oral history, Cultural Landscapes, Australia, Australian society, Culture, Oral Traditions, Applied Linguistics, Cross-Cultural Studies, Ethnographic Fieldwork (Anthropology), Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, History of Astrology, Ethnology, Ethnography (Research Methodology), Ethnomethodology, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Linguistics, Australian History, Indigenous Peoples, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Ethnographic Methods, Aboriginal education, Ethnoastronomy, History of Archeology, Kaurna Language, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Ethnoscience, Cosmology, Astronomy, Oral History and Memory, Antropología, South Australia, Adelaide, Aboriginal Studies, Australian cultural history, Australian Aboriginal Languages, Stars, Indigenous Cosmologies, Indigneous Studies, Orion Constellation, and Nomadic/Indigenous People
The traditional cultures of Aboriginal Australians include a significant astronomical component, perpetuated through oral tradition, ceremony, and art. This astronomical component includes a deep understanding of the motion of objects in... more
The traditional cultures of Aboriginal Australians include a significant astronomical component, perpetuated through oral tradition, ceremony, and art. This astronomical component includes a deep understanding of the motion of objects in the sky, and this knowledge was used for practical purposes such as constructing calendars. There is also evidence that traditional Aboriginal Australians made careful records and measurements of cyclical phenomena, paid careful attention to unexpected phenomena such as eclipses and meteorite impacts, and could determine the cardinal points to an accuracy of a few degrees.
Indigenous Knowledge is important for Indigenous communities across the globe and for the advancement of our general scientific knowledge. In particular, Indigenous astronomical knowledge integrates many aspects of Indigenous Knowledge,... more
Indigenous Knowledge is important for Indigenous communities across the globe and
for the advancement of our general scientific knowledge. In particular, Indigenous
astronomical knowledge integrates many aspects of Indigenous Knowledge, including
seasonal calendars, navigation, food economics, law, ceremony, and social structure.
Capturing, managing, and disseminating this knowledge in the digital environment
poses a number of challenges, which we aim to address using a collaborative project
emerging between experts in the higher education, library, archive and industry sectors.
Using Microsoft’s WorldWide Telescope and Rich Interactive Narratives technologies,
we propose to develop software, media design, and archival management solutions to
allow Indigenous communities to share their astronomical knowledge with the world
on their terms and in a culturally sensitive manner.
for the advancement of our general scientific knowledge. In particular, Indigenous
astronomical knowledge integrates many aspects of Indigenous Knowledge, including
seasonal calendars, navigation, food economics, law, ceremony, and social structure.
Capturing, managing, and disseminating this knowledge in the digital environment
poses a number of challenges, which we aim to address using a collaborative project
emerging between experts in the higher education, library, archive and industry sectors.
Using Microsoft’s WorldWide Telescope and Rich Interactive Narratives technologies,
we propose to develop software, media design, and archival management solutions to
allow Indigenous communities to share their astronomical knowledge with the world
on their terms and in a culturally sensitive manner.
Research Interests:
Computer Science, Human Computer Interaction, Anthropology, Archival Studies, Education, and 51 moreIndigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Library Science, Knowledge Management, Science Education, Australian Studies, Cultural Heritage, Indigenous education, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Knowledge sharing, Australian Indigenous languages, Australia, Archives, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Indigenous Knowledge, Library and Information Science, History of Astronomy, Aboriginal Art, Archaeoastronomy, Education for Library and Information Science, Australian Indigenous Studies, Traditional Environmental Knowledge, Digital Archives, Australian History, Indigenous Peoples, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Aboriginal education, Ethnoastronomy, Australian Aboriginal art, Commodification of traditional knowledge, Traditional Knowledge, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Traditional Knowledge Systems, Astronomy, Library and Information Studies, Traditional Knowledge and Ethnobiology, Aboriginal Rights, Information Science & Library Management, Traditional Knowledge and Intellectual Property Rights, Aboriginal Studies, Australian cultural history, Astronomia, Australian Aboriginal Languages, Indigneous Studies, Library and Archival Science, Nomadic/Indigenous People, and Traditional Knowledge and Natural Resources
The Australian National Curriculum promotes Indigenous culture in school education programs. To foster a broader appreciation of cultural astronomy, to utilise the unique astronomical heritage of the site, and to develop an educational... more
The Australian National Curriculum promotes Indigenous culture in school education programs. To foster a broader appreciation of cultural astronomy, to utilise the unique astronomical heritage of the site, and to develop an educational program within the framework of the National Curriculum, Sydney Observatory launched Dreamtime Astronomy—a program incorporating Australian Indigenous culture, astronomy, and Sydney's astronomical history and heritage. This paper reviews the development and implementation of this program and discusses modifications following an evaluation that was conducted by schools.
Research Interests:
History, Cultural History, Space Sciences, Anthropology, Historical Anthropology, and 33 moreEducation, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Science Education, Cultural Heritage, Indigenous education, History of Science, Heritage Tourism, Heritage Conservation, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Planetariums, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Social History, Physics Education, Australian History, Cultural Heritage Management, Indigenous Peoples, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Aboriginal education, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Astronomy, History, Science, Astronomy, Ancient Chronological Systems, Calendars, Education science outreach, Aboriginal Studies, Astronomia, Public Outreach, Indigneous Studies, and Planetarium Science
Novae and supernovae are rare astronomical events that would have had an influence on the sky- watching peoples who witnessed them. Although several bright novae/supernovae have been visible during recorded human history, there are many... more
Novae and supernovae are rare astronomical events that would have had an influence on the sky- watching peoples who witnessed them. Although several bright novae/supernovae have been visible during recorded human history, there are many proposed but no confirmed accounts of supernovae in indigenous oral traditions or material culture. Criteria are established for confirming novae/supernovae in oral traditions and material culture, and claims from around the world are discussed to determine if they meet these criteria. Aboriginal Australian traditions are explored for possible descriptions of novae/supernovae. Although representations of supernovae may exist in Aboriginal traditions, there are currently no confirmed accounts of supernovae in Indigenous Australian oral or material traditions.
Research Interests:
Ethnohistory, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, Observational Astronomy, Anthropology, and 45 moreIndigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Social Research Methods and Methodology, Research Methods and Methodology, Australian Studies, Cultural Heritage, Ethnography, Qualitative Methods, Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Rock Art (Archaeology), Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Australian Indigenous languages, Oral history, Australia, Supernovae, Culture, Oral Traditions, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Ethnology, Ethnography (Research Methodology), Ethnomethodology, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Traditional Environmental Knowledge, Indigenous Peoples, Qualitative Research Methods, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Aboriginal education, Ethnoastronomy, Traditional Knowledge, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Traditional Knowledge Systems, Astronomy, Rock Art, Oral History and Memory, Aboriginal Studies, Supernova Remnants, Novae, and Historical Astronomy
Whilst camped at Ooldea, South Australia, between 1919 and 1935, the amateur anthropologist Daisy Bates CBE recorded the daily lives, lore and oral traditions of the Aboriginal people of the Great Victoria Desert region surrounding... more
Whilst camped at Ooldea, South Australia, between 1919 and 1935, the amateur anthropologist Daisy Bates CBE recorded the daily lives, lore and oral traditions of the Aboriginal people of the Great Victoria Desert region surrounding Ooldea. Among her archived notes are stories regarding the Aboriginal astronomical traditions of this region. One story in particular, involving the stars making up the modern western constellations of Orion and Taurus, and thus referred to here as "The Orion Story", stands out for its level of detail and possible references to transient astronomical phenomena. Here, we critically analyse several important elements of "The Orion Story", including its relationship to an important secret-sacred male initiation rite. This paper is the first in a series attempting to reconstruct a more complete picture of the sky knowledge and star lore of the Aboriginal people of the Great Victoria Desert.
Research Interests:
Mythology And Folklore, History, Ancient History, Cultural History, Ethnohistory, and 94 moreSociology, Cultural Studies, Cognitive Science, Cultural Geography, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Environmental Science, Observational Astronomy, Anthropology, Mythology, Philosophy of Science, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Cultural Sociology, Historical Archaeology, History of Ideas, Social Sciences, Philosophical Anthropology, Ethnoarchaeology, Science Education, Australian Studies, Ethnomusicology, History of Mathematics, Cultural Heritage, Ethnography, Landscape Archaeology, Indigenous education, Cosmology (Anthropology), Social and Cultural Anthropology, Indigenous Research Methodologies, History of Science, Archaeological Method & Theory, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Australian Indigenous languages, Oral history, Australia, Science, Oral Traditions, Myths and Symbols as carriers of unconscious content, Indigenous Knowledge, Folk legends, History of Astronomy, Ethnology, Desert Ecology, Cultural Memory, Ethnography (Research Methodology), Ethnomethodology, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Ethnobiology, Ethnozoology, Australian History, Ancient myth and religion, Cultural Heritage Management, Indigenous Peoples, Ethnographic fieldwork, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Ethnographic Methods, Aboriginal education, Ethnoastronomy, Orality, Australian Literature, Comparative mythology, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Astronomy, Oral History and Memory, Oral literature, Indigneous Communities, Pleiades, Aboriginal Studies, Australian cultural history, Astronomía, Myth and Literature, Indigneous, Australian Aboriginal Languages, Indigenous Cosmologies, Constellations, Indigneous Studies, Historical Astronomy, Constellation, Indigenous Astronomy, Orion Constellation, Aboriginal Astronomy, Indigneous archaeology, Origin of Constellation Names, Ethnoastronomy Archeoastronomy, Indigneous Geographies, Nomadic/Indigenous People, The Origin of the Constellations, Scientifically Dating the Constellations, and Astronomia Cultural
In this paper we explore Aboriginal oral traditions that relate to Australian meteorite craters. Using the literature, first-hand ethnographic records and fieldtrip data, we identify oral traditions and artworks associated with four... more
In this paper we explore Aboriginal oral traditions that relate to Australian meteorite craters. Using the literature, first-hand ethnographic records and fieldtrip data, we identify oral traditions and artworks associated with four impact sites: Gosses Bluff, Henbury, Liverpool and Wolfe Creek. Oral traditions describe impact origins for Gosses Bluff, Henbury and Wolfe Creek Craters, and non-impact origins for Liverpool Crater, with Henbury and Wolfe Creek stories having both impact and non-impact origins. Three impact sites that are believed to have been formed during human habitation of Australia. Dalgaranga, Veevers, and Boxhole do not have associated oral traditions that are reported in the literature.
Research Interests:
Mythology And Folklore, History, History of Science and Technology, Cultural History, Cultural Studies, and 103 moreGeography, Human Geography, Cultural Geography, Historical Geography, Environmental Geography, Archaeology, Earth Sciences, Environmental Science, Geology, Geophysics, Anthropology, Folklore, Mythology, Historical Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Cultural Sociology, Historical Archaeology, Structural Geology, Australian Studies, Cultural Heritage, Environmental Geology, Planetary Science, Meteoritics, Cosmology (Anthropology), Social and Cultural Anthropology, Indigenous Research Methodologies, History of Science, Meteorology, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Australian Indigenous languages, History of Philosophy of Science, Tourism Geography, Oral history, Australia, Oral Traditions, Cultural Tourism, Cross-Cultural Studies, Indigenous Knowledge, Quaternary Geology, Cultural Memory, Aboriginal Art, History of Geology, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Field Geology, Australian History, Oral Tradition, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous ecological knowledges and practices, Geomythology, Cultural Anthropology, History and Philosophy of the Human Sciences, Aboriginal History in Australia, Aboriginal education, Ethnoastronomy, Aboriginal Cultures, Orality, Australian Aboriginal art, Planetary Geology, History of geography, Flood Forecasting, Cultural Astronomy, Ethnoscience, Planetary and Space Science, Australian archaeology, Oral History and Memory, Indigenous knowledge systems, Oral literature, Meteorites, Impact craters, Geologia, Aboriginal Studies, Australian cultural history, astrophysics, Aboriginal astronomy, archaeoastronomy, Earth and Planetary Science, Planetary Sciences, METEORITE IMPACT, Australian Aboriginal Languages, Astrogeology of Planets; Meteoritics, Meteorite Impacts, Impact Cratering, Tektites, Meteorite impact and shock metamorphism, Planetary Space Science, Ethnosciences, Archaeology of Colonialism, Ethnogeology, Planetary Geomorphology, Meteorite, Geomythology, Archaeology, Earth and Planetary Sciences, Shock Metamorphism, Nomadic/Indigenous People, Fireballs, Meteorite Impact and Archeology, Meteorite Impact Craters, Geophysics of Impact Craters, Crater Strewn Field, Meteorite Craters, Craters, History of Meteorites, Fresh Craters, and Meteoritcs
Descriptions of natural events, such as fireballs, and meteorite impacts, are found within Indigenous Australian oral traditions. Studies of oral traditions demonstrate that they extend beyond the realm of myth and legend; they contain... more
Descriptions of natural events, such as fireballs, and meteorite impacts, are found within Indigenous Australian oral traditions. Studies of oral traditions demonstrate that they extend beyond the realm of myth and legend; they contain structured knowledge about the natural world (science) as well as historic accounts of natural events and geo-hazards. These traditions could lead to the discovery of meteorites and impact sites previously unknown to Western science. In addition to benefiting the scientific study of meteoritics, this study can help social scientists better understand the nature and longevity of oral traditions and further support the growing body of evidence that oral traditions contain historical accounts of natural events. In a previous study led by the author in 2009, no meteorite-related oral traditions were identified that led to the discovery of meteorites and/or impact craters. This article challenges those initial findings.
Research Interests:
History, Ancient History, History of Science and Technology, Cultural History, Ethnohistory, and 66 moreSociology, Archaeology, Geology, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Social Sciences, Australian Studies, Ethnography, Meteoritics, Indigenous education, Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Archaeological Method & Theory, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Australian Indigenous languages, History of Philosophy of Science, Oral history, Australia, Australian society, Oral Traditions, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Ethnology, Desert Ecology, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Traditional Environmental Knowledge, Australian History, Indigenous Peoples, Geomythology, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Aboriginal education, Ethnoastronomy, Orality, Australian Aboriginal art, Traditional Knowledge, Cultural Astronomy, Ethnoscience, Traditional Knowledge Systems, Oral History and Memory, Tradition, Meteorites, Impact craters, Aboriginal Studies, Australian cultural history, History of astrology and astronomy, METEORITE IMPACT, Australian Aboriginal Languages, Astrogeology of Planets; Meteoritics, Meteorite Impacts, Impact Cratering, Meteorite impact and shock metamorphism, Meteors, Ethnogeology, Meteors in mythology, History of Pre-Telescopic Astronomy, Ethnoastronomy Archeoastronomy, Nomadic/Indigenous People, Archeology, Meteorite Impact and Archeology, Henbury Craters, and History of Meteorites
The Dalgaranga meteorite crater, 100 km northeast of Yalgoo, Western Australia, was the first impact structure identified in Australia, the smallest isolated crater found in Australia, and the only confirmed crater in the world associated... more
The Dalgaranga meteorite crater, 100 km northeast of Yalgoo, Western Australia, was the first impact structure identified in Australia, the smallest isolated crater found in Australia, and the only confirmed crater in the world associated with a mesosiderite projectile. 17 years passed before the Dalgaranga meteorites were described in the scientific literature and nearly 40 years passed before a survey of the structure was published. The reasons for the time-gap were never explained and a number of factual errors about the discovery and early history remain uncorrected in the scientific literature. Using historical and archival documents and accounts from people involved in early Dalgaranga research, we provide a detailed history of the discovery and study of the crater and its associated meteorites. We then discuss discrepancies in the age estimates of the impact and use pi-scaling laws to estimate the mass of the projectile.
Research Interests:
History, Earth Sciences, Geology, Geophysics, Mineralogy, and 26 moreAustralian Studies, Planetary Science, Meteoritics, History of Science, Planetary Geophysics, Australia, History of Astronomy, History of Geology, Australian History, Aboriginal History in Australia, Planetary Geology, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Meteorites, Geosciences, Western Australia-History and Archaeology, Impact craters, Near Earth Asteroids, Earth and Planetary Science, History of earth sciences, Solar System, Impact Cratering, Meteors, Layered Ejecta, Meteorite Craters, Craters, and History of Meteorites
This research contributes to the disciplines of cultural astronomy (the academic study of how past and present cultures understand and utilise celestial objects and phenomena) and geomythology (the study of geological events and the... more
This research contributes to the disciplines of cultural astronomy (the academic study of how past and present cultures understand and utilise celestial objects and phenomena) and geomythology (the study of geological events and the formation of geological features described in oral traditions). Of the hundreds of distinct Aboriginal cultures of Australia, many have oral traditions rich in descriptions and explanations of comets, meteors, meteorites, airbursts, impact events, and impact craters. These views generally attribute these phenomena to spirits, death, and bad omens. There are also many traditions that describe the formation of meteorite craters as well as impact events that are not known to Western science.
Research Interests:
Transient celestial phenomena feature prominently in the astronomical knowledge and traditions of Aboriginal Australians. In this paper, I collect accounts of the Aurora Australis from the literature regarding Aboriginal culture. Using... more
Transient celestial phenomena feature prominently in the astronomical knowledge and traditions of Aboriginal Australians. In this paper, I collect accounts of the Aurora Australis from the literature regarding Aboriginal culture. Using previous studies of meteors, eclipses, and comets in Aboriginal traditions, I anticipated that the physical properties of aurora, such as their generally red colour as seen from southern Australia, would be associated with fire, death, blood, and evil spirits. The survey reveals this to be the case and also explores historical auroral events in Aboriginal cultures, aurorae in rock art, and briefly compares Aboriginal auroral traditions with other indigenous groups, including the Maori of New Zealand.
Research Interests:
History, History of Science and Technology, Cultural History, Ethnohistory, Cultural Studies, and 50 moreEnvironmental Science, Space Sciences, Anthropology, Philosophy of Science, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Social Sciences, Science Education, Australian Studies, History of Mathematics, Cultural Heritage, Ethnography, Atmospheric Science, Philosophy Of Mathematics, Sociology of Knowledge, Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Space Plasma Physics, Atmospheric Physics, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Oral history, Australia, Oral Traditions, Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Ethnography (Research Methodology), Ethnomethodology, Space Physics, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Australian History, Space Science, Indigenous Peoples, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Aboriginal education, Ethnoastronomy, Orality, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Astronomy, Indigenous knowledge systems, Aboriginal Studies, Earth and Space Physics, Aurora Borealis, Ethnoastronomy Archeoastronomy, Nomadic/Indigenous People, and Aurorae
We review the literature for perceptions of meteors in the Māori culture of Aotearoa (New Zealand). We examine representations of meteors in religion, story, and ceremony. We find that meteors are sometimes personified as gods or... more
We review the literature for perceptions of meteors in the Māori culture of Aotearoa (New Zealand). We examine representations of meteors in religion, story, and ceremony. We find that meteors are sometimes personified as gods or children, or are seen as omens of death and destruction. The stories we found highlight the broad perception of meteors found throughout the Māori culture, and note that some early scholars conflated the terms comet and meteor.
Research Interests:
Cultural History, Indigenous Studies, Museum Studies, Meteoritics, Visual Culture, and 19 moreSocial and Cultural Anthropology, Meteor astronomy, Oral history, Polynesian Studies, Oral Traditions, Indigenous Knowledge, Archaeoastronomy, Cultural Anthropology, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Maori Astronomy, Heritage, Kaupapa Maori Research, Maori history, Exhibition History, Maori, Polynesian languages and culture, Meteors in mythology, and Maori Art
Ethnographic evidence indicates that bora (initiation) ceremonial sites in southeast Australia, which typically comprise a pair of circles connected by a pathway, are symbolically reflected in the Milky Way as the ‘Sky Bora’. This... more
Ethnographic evidence indicates that bora (initiation) ceremonial sites in southeast Australia, which typically comprise a pair of circles connected by a pathway, are symbolically reflected in the Milky Way as the ‘Sky Bora’. This evidence also indicates that the position of the Sky Bora signifies the time of the year when initiation ceremonies are held. We use archaeological data to test the hypothesis that southeast Australian bora grounds have a preferred orientation to the position of the Milky Way in the night sky in August, when the plane of the galaxy from Crux to Sagittarius is roughly vertical in the evening sky to the south-southwest. We accomplish this by measuring the orientations of 68 bora grounds using a combination of data from the archaeological literature and site cards in the New South Wales Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System database. We find that bora grounds have a preferred orientation to the south and southwest, consistent with the Sky Bora hypothesis. Monte Carlo statistics show that these preferences were not the result of chance alignments, but were deliberate.
Research Interests:
History, Cultural History, Ethnohistory, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, and 42 morePrehistoric Archaeology, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Ethnoarchaeology, Australian Studies, Cultural Heritage, Ethnography, Landscape Archaeology, Sociology of Knowledge, Cosmology (Anthropology), Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Rock Art (Archaeology), Archaeological Method & Theory, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Australia, Oral Traditions, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Ethnology, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Australian History, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous ecological knowledges and practices, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Ethnoastronomy, Orality, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Prehistoric Rock Art, Astronomy, Rock Art, Ceremony, Ritual and Performance, Stone tools, Aboriginal Studies, Rock art research, Anthropology of Religion, and Nomadic/Indigenous People
Wurdi Youang is an egg-shaped Aboriginal stone arrangement in Victoria, Australia. Here we present a new survey of the site, and show that its major axis is aligned within a few degrees of east-west. We con rm a previous hypothesis that... more
Wurdi Youang is an egg-shaped Aboriginal stone arrangement in Victoria, Australia. Here we present a new survey of the site, and show that its major axis is aligned within a few degrees of east-west. We con rm a previous hypothesis that it contains alignments to the position on the horizon of the setting sun at the equinox and the solstices, and show that two independent sets of indicators are aligned in these directions. We show that these alignments are unlikely to have arisen by chance, and instead the builders of this stone arrangement appear to have deliberately aligned the site on astronomically signi cant positions.
Research Interests:
History, Cultural History, Geography, Physical Geography, Archaeology, and 34 morePrehistoric Archaeology, Observational Astronomy, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Ethnoarchaeology, Australian Studies, Ethnography, Landscape Archaeology, Landscape Architecture, Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Cultural Landscapes, Australia, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Ethnology, Ethnography (Research Methodology), Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Australian History, Indigenous Peoples, Landscape, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, Aboriginal Studies, Ethnoastronomy Archeoastronomy, Nomadic/Indigenous People, and Archeology
We test the hypothesis that Aboriginal linear stone arrangements in New South Wales (NSW) are oriented to the cardinal points. We accomplish this by measuring the azimuths of stone arrangements described in site cards from the NSW... more
We test the hypothesis that Aboriginal linear stone arrangements in New South Wales (NSW) are oriented to the cardinal points. We accomplish this by measuring the azimuths of stone arrangements described in site cards from the NSW Aboriginal Heritage Information Management System. We then survey a subset of these sites to test the accuracy of information recorded on the site cards. We find a preference recorded in the site cards for cardinal orientations among azimuths. The field surveys show that the site cards are reasonably accurate, but the surveyors probably did not correct for magnetic declinations. Using Monte Carlo statistics, we show that these preferred orientations did not occur by chance and that Aboriginal people deliberately aligned these arrangements to the approximate cardinal directions. We briefly explore possible reasons for these preferred orientations and highlight the need for future work.
Research Interests:
Mythology And Folklore, Cultural History, Ethnohistory, Geography, Cultural Geography, and 60 moreArchaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anthropology, Mythology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Historical Archaeology, Ethnoarchaeology, Australian Studies, Ethnography, Landscape Archaeology, Sociology of Knowledge, Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Rock Art (Archaeology), Archaeological Method & Theory, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Australian Indigenous languages, Oral history, Australia, Australian society, Oral Traditions, Indigenous Knowledge, Stone Age (Archaeology), Ethnology, Ethnography (Research Methodology), Rock Art management & Awareness, Ethnomethodology, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Australian History, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous ecological knowledges and practices, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Aboriginal education, Prehistoric Art, Australian Aboriginal art, Comparative mythology, Archeologia, Stone artefacts (Archaeology), Prehistory, Prehistoric Rock Art, Theory of Knowledge, Rock Art, Prehistoric Archeology, Stone tools, Aboriginal Studies, Australian cultural history, Rock art research, Rock Art, Prehistoric Art and Archaeology, Australian Aboriginal Languages, Landscape and Rock Art, Rock art conservation, Rock art recording, Stone Arrangement, Nomadic/Indigenous People, Archeology, and Rock Art Study
We explore the origin of a ~280 m wide, heavily eroded circular depression in Palm Valley, Northern Territory, Australia using gravity, morphological, and mineralogical data collected from a field survey in September 2009. From the... more
We explore the origin of a ~280 m wide, heavily eroded circular depression in Palm Valley, Northern Territory, Australia using gravity, morphological, and mineralogical data collected from a field survey in September 2009. From the analysis of the survey, we debate probable formation processes, namely erosion and impact, as no evidence of volcanism is found in the region or reported in the literature. We argue that the depression was not formed by erosion and consider an impact origin, although we acknowledge that diagnostics required to identify it as such (e.g. meteorite fragments, shatter cones, shocked quartz) are lacking, leaving the formation process uncertain. We encourage further discussion of the depression's origin and stress a need to develop recognition criteria that can help identify small, ancient impact craters. We also encourage systematic searches for impact craters in Central Australia as it is probable that many more remain to be discovered.
Research Interests:
Geology, Geophysics, Australian Studies, Planetary Science, Meteoritics, and 13 morePlanetary Geophysics, Australia, Natural Hazards, Planetary Geology, Planetary and Space Science, Applied Geophysics, Impact craters, Earth and Planetary Science, Planetary Sciences, Meteorite Impacts, Impact Cratering, Earth and Planetary Sciences, and Craters
We explore about fifty Australian Aboriginal accounts of lunar and solar eclipses to determine how Aboriginal groups understood this phenomenon. We summarise the literature on Aboriginal references to eclipses, showing that many... more
We explore about fifty Australian Aboriginal accounts of lunar and solar eclipses to determine how Aboriginal groups understood this phenomenon. We summarise the literature on Aboriginal references to eclipses, showing that many Aboriginal groups viewed eclipses negatively, frequently associating them with bad omens, evil magic, disease, blood and death. In many communities, Elders or medicine men were believed to have the ability to control or avert eclipses by magical means, solidifying their role as provider and protector within the community. We also show that many Aboriginal groups understood the motions of the sun-earth-moon system, the connection between the lunar phases and tides, and acknowledged that solar eclipses were caused by the moon blocking the sun.
Research Interests:
History, Cultural History, Ethnohistory, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, and 27 moreIndigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Ethnography, Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Oral history, Oral Traditions, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Ethnology, Ethnography (Research Methodology), Ethnomethodology, Lunar Science, Archaeoastronomy, Indigenous Peoples, Oral Traditions (Culture), Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Ethnoastronomy, Orality, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, Eclipse, Indigenous Australians, Aboriginal Studies, Ethnoastronomy Archeoastronomy, and Nomadic/Indigenous People
The night sky played an important role in the social structure, oral traditions, and cosmology of the Arrernte and Luritja Aboriginal cultures of Central Australia. A component of this cosmology relates to meteors, meteorites, and impact... more
The night sky played an important role in the social structure, oral traditions, and cosmology of the Arrernte and Luritja Aboriginal cultures of Central Australia. A component of this cosmology relates to meteors, meteorites, and impact craters. This paper discusses the role of meteoritic phenomena in Arrernte and Luritja cosmology, showing not only that these groups incorporated this phenomenon in their cultural traditions, but that their oral traditions regarding the relationship between meteors, meteorites and impact structures suggests the Arrernte and Luritja understood that they are directly related.
Notice: This paper in no way supports or endorses Panspermia or any of the fringe or pseudoscientific material published by this journal or its editors.
Notice: This paper in no way supports or endorses Panspermia or any of the fringe or pseudoscientific material published by this journal or its editors.
Research Interests:
Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Landscape Archaeology, Cosmology (Anthropology), Phenomenology, and 12 moreOral history, Oral Traditions, Archaeoastronomy, Megalithic Monuments, Geomythology, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Heritage interpretation, Belief Systems, Meteorites, The Uses of Archaeology, and History of Archaeological Theory
We report on an Aboriginal rock art site dubbed "mini-Yengo" near Kulnura, NSW. The site features a large rock mound that resembles the distant Mount Yengo, a sacred place in the oral traditions of the local Aboriginal people. We describe... more
We report on an Aboriginal rock art site dubbed "mini-Yengo" near Kulnura, NSW. The site features a large rock mound that resembles the distant Mount Yengo, a sacred place in the oral traditions of the local Aboriginal people. We describe four petroglyphs - one of a serpent and three kangaroos, both near the base of the mound, as well as modern graffiti, an axe groove, and a carved cupule. This site has not been publishedin the literature and is probably one of the rock art sites relating to the oral traditions of Baiame and Mount Yengo.
Research Interests:
The Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) consists of an international group of astronomers with expertise in stellar astronomy, astronomical history, and cultural astronomy. The group catalogs and standardizes proper names for stars for the... more
The Working Group on Star Names (WGSN) consists of an international group of astronomers with expertise in stellar astronomy, astronomical history, and cultural astronomy. The group catalogs and standardizes proper names for stars for the international astronomical community. Names draw upon the extensive historical and world-wide cultural astronomy literature.
Research Interests:
Ancient Egyptian Religion, History, Ancient History, Cultural History, Ethnohistory, and 24 moreClassical Archaeology, Observational Astronomy, Classics, Medieval History, Ethnography, History of Science, History of Astronomy, Ancient Religion, Archaeoastronomy, Islamic History, Ancient Philosophy, Ancient Near East, Ancient Greek Religion, Ancient myth and religion, Ancient Greek History, Astrophysics, Ancient Greek Philosophy, Ethnoastronomy, Classical Mythology, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, Ancient Egypt, Physics and Astronomy, and Ethnoastronomy Archeoastronomy
The cataloguing of stars has seen a long history. Since prehistory, cultures and civilisations all around the world have given their own unique names to the brightest and most prominent stars in the night sky. Certain names have remained... more
The cataloguing of stars has seen a long history. Since prehistory, cultures and civilisations all around the world have given their own unique names to the brightest and most prominent stars in the night sky. Certain names have remained little changed as they passed through Greek, Latin and Arabic cultures, and some are still in use today. As astronomy developed and advanced over the centuries, a need arose for a universal cataloguing system, whereby the brightest stars (and thus those most studied) were known by the same labels, regardless of the country or culture from which the astronomers came.
Research Interests:
"Why is the sky blue and where does it start? -Oliver Scott, age 7, Wombarra." This is something that parents get asked every day. And it's a great question, Oliver! Some people think the sky is blue because of sunlight reflected off... more
"Why is the sky blue and where does it start? -Oliver Scott, age 7, Wombarra."
This is something that parents get asked every day. And it's a great question, Oliver! Some people think the sky is blue because of sunlight reflected off the ocean and back into the sky. But the sky is blue even in the middle of the countryside, nowhere near the sea! Others think it's because of the water in our atmosphere. But the sky is blue in places that are extremely dry, like the desert.
This is something that parents get asked every day. And it's a great question, Oliver! Some people think the sky is blue because of sunlight reflected off the ocean and back into the sky. But the sky is blue even in the middle of the countryside, nowhere near the sea! Others think it's because of the water in our atmosphere. But the sky is blue in places that are extremely dry, like the desert.
Research Interests:
This is an article from Curious Kids, a series for children. The Conversation is asking kids to send in questions they’d like an expert to answer. All questions are welcome – serious, weird, or wacky! Why can I sometimes see the Moon in... more
This is an article from Curious Kids, a series for children. The Conversation is asking kids to send in questions they’d like an expert to answer. All questions are welcome – serious, weird, or wacky!
Why can I sometimes see the Moon in the daytime? – Sebastian, age 4, Brisbane.
Why can I sometimes see the Moon in the daytime? – Sebastian, age 4, Brisbane.
Research Interests:
Earth Sciences, Philosophy of Science, Education, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, and 15 moreScience Communication, Teacher Education, Science Education, Ethnography, Planetary Science, History of Science, Early Childhood Education, Polynesian Studies, Indigenous Knowledge, Archaeoastronomy, Physics Education, Astrophysics, Astronomy, Preschool Education, and Primary Education
Venus has returned to our evening skies and is looking lovely in the north-west after sunset. Tonight, July 13 (2021), it will pair up with the red planet Mars and just above the two planets will be the waxing crescent Moon. Wherever you... more
Venus has returned to our evening skies and is looking lovely in the north-west after sunset. Tonight, July 13 (2021), it will pair up with the red planet Mars and just above the two planets will be the waxing crescent Moon. Wherever you are in Australia, find a location that has a good view of the north-west horizon to see the conjunction. Venus will be visible during dusk, but you need to wait until the sky darkens to have a chance to see faint Mars. Mars will appear just above and to the left of Venus. The best viewing opportunity will be from about 6:30 pm, with the planets setting an hour later.
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Physics, Cosmology (Physics), Indigenous Studies, and 15 moreIndigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Sciences, Science Communication, Ethnography, Planetary Science, Cosmology (Anthropology), Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Australian History, Astrophysics, Planetary Geology, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, and Anthroplogy
Almost every person throughout the existence of humankind has looked up at the night sky and seen more than just a random scattering of light. Constellations of stars have helped us shape our own ongoing narratives and cultures-creating... more
Almost every person throughout the existence of humankind has looked up at the night sky and seen more than just a random scattering of light. Constellations of stars have helped us shape our own ongoing narratives and cultures-creating meaning in the sky above that guides us in our life on the ground below. Of course, we don't all see exactly the same night sky-there are subtle differences depending on where we are on the planet, what season it is, and the time of night, all of which are imbued into the meaning we construct about the stars.
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Psychology, Human Geography, and 15 moreArchaeology, Anthropology, Perception, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Science Communication, Ethnography, Indigenous Knowledge, Ecology, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Australian History, Indigenous Peoples, Cultural Astronomy, and Astronomy
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this story may contain images and voices of people who have died. The five planets we can see by naked eye were known to the ancient Greeks as "asteres planetai", meaning... more
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised that this story may contain images and voices of people who have died. The five planets we can see by naked eye were known to the ancient Greeks as "asteres planetai", meaning "wandering stars", due to their wandering journey across the sky relative to the fixed stars. This is where we get the word "planet". But knowledge of the planets and their movements goes back much further, being prominent in the traditions of the oldest continuing cultures in the world. Recent research reveals a wealth of information about the planets and their complex motions in the Knowledge Systems of Indigenous Australians.
Research Interests:
History, Cultural History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, and 15 morePhysics, Anthropology, Philosophy, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Sciences, Ethnography, Planetary Science, Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Indigenous Knowledge, Australian Indigenous Studies, Australian History, Astronomy, Geosciences, and Indigneous Studies
When Uncle Segar Passi watches the position of the setting Sun from his front patio, he notes its location and relates that to the time of year and changes in seasonal cycles. What he sees translates into his artworks. They are visually... more
When Uncle Segar Passi watches the position of the setting Sun from his front patio, he notes its location and relates that to the time of year and changes in seasonal cycles. What he sees translates into his artworks. They are visually stunning, a rich tapestry of colours jumping off the frame with a palate that easily rivals Vincent van Gogh. This is reflected in the many awards he has garnered over the years.
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, Musicology, and 15 moreEconomics, Anthropology, Art History, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Sciences, Film Studies, Ethnomusicology, International Law, Orality-Literacy Studies, Indigenous Knowledge, Ecology, Australian Indigenous Studies, Australian History, and Astronomy
The New Moon this month marks the start of the Lunar New Year and reminds us of how important our orbiting neighbour is to us. It's a relationship long described by many cultures across the globe, particularly with its links to tides and... more
The New Moon this month marks the start of the Lunar New Year and reminds us of how important our orbiting neighbour is to us. It's a relationship long described by many cultures across the globe, particularly with its links to tides and weather. In the Torres Strait it was a crucially important element in helping the islanders win a legal battle for sea rights.
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Oceanography, Constitutional Law, Civil Law, and 15 moreMusic, Musicology, Art History, Indigenous Studies, International Law, Oral history, Oral Traditions, Indigenous Knowledge, Australian Indigenous Studies, Australian History, Aboriginal History in Australia, Visual Arts, Astronomy, Archaelogy, and Anthroplogy
How long do you think stories can be passed down, generation to generation? Hundreds of years? Thousands? Today, we publish new research in the Journal of Archaeological Science demonstrating that traditional stories from Tasmania have... more
How long do you think stories can be passed down, generation to generation? Hundreds of years? Thousands? Today, we publish new research in the Journal of Archaeological Science demonstrating that traditional stories from Tasmania have been passed down for more than 12,000 years. And we use multiple lines of evidence to show it.
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Geography, Archaeology, and 15 moreGeology, Oceanography, Anthropology, Philosophy, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Languages and Linguistics, Social Sciences, Australian Studies, Cultural Heritage, Ethnography, Memory Studies, Australian History, Orality, and Astronomy
This year’s Mabo Day, June 3, was a special day for Indigenous astronomy. That was when the International Astronomical Union officially accepted five new asteroid names that honour a selection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander... more
This year’s Mabo Day, June 3, was a special day for Indigenous astronomy. That was when the International Astronomical Union officially accepted five new asteroid names that honour a selection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, elders and academics whose work has been particularly influential. The move follows similar commemorations in 2019, the International Year of Indigenous Languages, when a plethora of stars, exoplanets, planetary features and asteroids were given Indigenous names. They included six stars that received names from the Wardaman (NT), Booring (Vic) and Kamilaroi/Euahlayi (NSW) communities, as well as a star and planet named Bubup (“child”) and Yanyan (“boy”) – names derived from the Boon Wurrung language of Melbourne.
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, Anthropology, and 15 moreArt History, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Languages and Linguistics, Social Sciences, Planetary Science, Asteroids, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Australia, Indigenous Knowledge, Linguistics, Indigenous Peoples, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, and Meteorites
Two new coins have been released by the Royal Australian Mint to celebrate the astronomical knowledge and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They feature artworks from Wiradjuri (NSW) and Yamaji (WA) artists that... more
Two new coins have been released by the Royal Australian Mint to celebrate the astronomical knowledge and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. They feature artworks from Wiradjuri (NSW) and Yamaji (WA) artists that represent two of the most famous features in Aboriginal astronomy: the great Emu in the Sky and the Seven Sisters. Both celestial features are found in the astronomical traditions of many Aboriginal cultures across Australia. They are seen in similar ways and have similar meanings between cultures on opposite sides of the continent and are observed to note the changing seasons and the behaviours of plants and animals and inform Law.
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Archaeology, Economics, Anthropology, and 15 moreArt History, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Sciences, Cosmology (Anthropology), Social and Cultural Anthropology, Indigenous Knowledge, Money and Banking, Australian History, Indigenous Peoples, Orality, Australian Aboriginal art, Cultural Astronomy, Anthropology of Money, Fine Arts, and Astronomy
The Emu in the Sky is one of Australia’s most famous dark constellations, holding special meaning for
Aboriginal Australians. Now, it is being commemorated by the Royal Australian Mint
Aboriginal Australians. Now, it is being commemorated by the Royal Australian Mint
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Economics, Anthropology, and 15 moreIndigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Languages and Linguistics, Cultural Heritage, Conservation Biology, History of Science, Oral history, Biology, Ecology, Sociology of Money, Indigenous Peoples, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, Oral History and Memory, and Australian Aboriginal Languages
Four stars in the night sky have been formally recognised by their Australian Aboriginal names. The names include three from the Wardaman people of the Northern Territory and one from the Boorong people of western Victoria. The Wardaman... more
Four stars in the night sky have been formally recognised by their Australian Aboriginal names. The names include three from the Wardaman people of the Northern Territory and one from the Boorong people of western Victoria. The Wardaman star names are Larawag, Wurren and Ginan in the Western constellations Scorpius, Phoenix and Crux (the Southern Cross). The Boorong star name is Unurgunite in Canis Majoris (the Great Dog). They are among 86 new star names drawn from Chinese, Coptic, Hindu, Mayan, Polynesian, South African, and Aboriginal Australian cultures.
Research Interests:
History, Ancient History, Cultural History, Ethnohistory, Sociology, and 99 moreCultural Studies, Geography, Human Geography, Cultural Geography, Historical Geography, Social Geography, Observational Astronomy, Stellar Astrophysics, Anthropology, Ethnolinguistics, Historical Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Historical Sociology, Social Anthropology, Cultural Sociology, Historical Archaeology, Historical Linguistics, Social Sciences, Philosophical Anthropology, Ethnoarchaeology, Australian Studies, Ethnomusicology, Cultural Heritage, Ethnography, Sociolinguistics, Linguistic Anthropology, Indigenous Languages, Indigenous education, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Indigenous Research Methodologies, History of Science, Indigenous Archaeololgy, Historical Ethnomusicology, Indigenous Politics, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Australian Indigenous languages, Oral history, Cultural Landscapes, Australia, Australian society, Oral Traditions, Cross-Cultural Studies, Indigenous Knowledge, Indigeneity, History of Astronomy, History of Astrology, Ethnology, Variable Stars, Cultural Memory, Ethnography (Research Methodology), Ethnomethodology, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Indigenous Peoples Rights, Social History, Ethnozoology, Intellectual and cultural history, Australian History, Cultural Heritage Management, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous ecological knowledges and practices, Ethnographic fieldwork, Astrophysics, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Ethnographic Methods, Aboriginal education, Ethnoastronomy, Orality, Australian Aboriginal art, Australian Literature, Cultural Astronomy, Ethnoecology, Australian art, Ancient Astronomy, Ethnoscience, Astronomy, Oral History and Memory, Aboriginal Literature, Sociologia, Indigenous knowledge systems, Oral literature, Antropología cultural, Aboriginal Rights, Sociología, Historia Cultural, Aboriginal Studies, Australian cultural history, Astronomia, Historical Studies, History of astrology and astronomy, Australian Aboriginal Languages, Stars, Historical Astronomy, Physics and Astronomy, History of Astronomy and Physics, History of Pre-Telescopic Astronomy, and Nomadic/Indigenous People
Aboriginal Australians have been observing the stars for more than 65,000 years, and many of their oral traditions have been recorded since colonisation. These traditions tell of all kinds of celestial events, such as the annual rising of... more
Aboriginal Australians have been observing the stars for more than 65,000 years, and many of their oral traditions have been recorded since colonisation. These traditions tell of all kinds of celestial events, such as the annual rising of stars, passing comets, eclipses of the Sun and Moon, auroral displays, and even meteorite impacts. But new research, recently published in The Australian Journal of Anthropology, reveals that Aboriginal oral traditions describe the variable nature of three red-giant stars: Betelgeuse, Aldebaran and Antares. This challenges the history of astronomy and tells us that Aboriginal Australians were even more careful observers of the night sky than they have been given credit for.
Research Interests:
History, Ancient History, Cultural History, Ethnohistory, Sociology, and 90 moreArchaeology, Stellar Astrophysics, Stellar Evolution, Anthropology, Ethnolinguistics, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Historical Archaeology, Social Research Methods and Methodology, Social Sciences, Knowledge Management, Research Methods and Methodology, Ethnoarchaeology, Australian Studies, Research Methodology, History of Mathematics, Ethnography, Interdisciplinarity, Landscape Archaeology, Methodology, Sociology of Knowledge, Mixed Methods, Qualitative methodology, Qualitative Methods, Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Archaeological Method & Theory, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Australian Indigenous languages, Oral history, Australia, Australian society, Oral Traditions, Cross-Cultural Studies, Stellar Oscillations and magnetic field, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Ethnology, Variable Stars, Knowledge Transfer, Ethnography (Research Methodology), Ethnomethodology, Quantitative Methods, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Australian History, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous ecological knowledges and practices, Qualitative Research Methods, Geomythology, Astrophysics, Cultural Anthropology, Cross-cultural studies (Culture), Aboriginal History in Australia, Ethnographic Methods, Ethnoastronomy, Interdisciplinary Studies, Orality, Cross-cultural interaction (Archaeology), Interdisciplinary research (Social Sciences), Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Ethnoscience, Knowledge, Astronomy, Oral History and Memory, Indigenous knowledge systems, Stellar Physics, Interdisciplinary research, indigenous knowledge systems—especially pedagogy—critical/postcolonial theory.Current research is the arts as a medium for sustainable education and cultural healing . . ., Aboriginal Studies, Cataclysmic Variable Stars, Australian cultural history, Indigenous and Local Environmental Knowledge, Cross Cultural Research, Australian Aboriginal Languages, Indigenous Knowledge and Science, Constellations, Ethnosciences, Constellation, Orion Constellation, Indigenous Knowledge and Technology, Origin of Constellation Names, Ethnoastronomy Archeoastronomy, Nomadic/Indigenous People, Stellar Pulsation, Indigenous Knowledges, The Origin of the Constellations, and Scientifically Dating the Constellations
Myths and legends are taught as an important component of cultural history and heritage, but are viewed by many as little more than fairy tales. Rife with supernatural deities, unphysical acts of strength and prowess, and fictional... more
Myths and legends are taught as an important component of cultural history and heritage, but are viewed by many as little more than fairy tales. Rife with supernatural deities, unphysical acts of strength and prowess, and fictional creatures, the very concept of examining them for scientific content is frowned upon, if not rejected outright. And with anti-science creationists pushing for teaching mythology-as-science, this is not unexpected. But researchers are finding out something oral cultures have always known - myths and legends (or to use the preferred term, 'oral traditions') contain information about nature, survival, cultural practices, and social structure for the peoples that developed them. This information actually does include a scientific component - explanations of the natural world that were used for navigation, calendars, food economics, and agricultural practices. The rising of the Pleiades at dawn may signal the arrival of winter. The behavior of some animals may predict the onset of bad weather. Certain plants may be used to treat ailments and disease. But these oral traditions can also contain information about past geological and astronomical events.
Research Interests:
Cultural History, Ethnohistory, Cultural Studies, Geography, Human Geography, and 40 moreCultural Geography, Historical Geography, Physical Geography, Geology, Geophysics, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Knowledge Management, Structural Geology, Cultural Heritage, Ethnography, Meteoritics, Landscape Archaeology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Cultural Landscapes, Australia, Culture, Cultural Tourism, Indigenous Knowledge, Ethnology, Ethnography (Research Methodology), Ethnomethodology, History of Geology, Australian Indigenous Studies, Australian History, Indigenous Peoples, Geomythology, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Meteorites, Impact craters, Aboriginal Studies, Meteorite Impacts, Impact Cratering, Meteorite impact and shock metamorphism, Ethnogeology, and Nomadic/Indigenous People
Look up on any clear night and you can see myriad stars, planets, and the Milky Way stretching across the sky. The chances are that you know some of the constellations. The International Astronomical Union recognises 88 constellations,... more
Look up on any clear night and you can see myriad stars, planets, and the Milky Way stretching across the sky. The chances are that you know some of the constellations. The International Astronomical Union recognises 88 constellations, ranging from the giant water-serpent Hydra to tiny Crux (the Southern Cross). These are largely based on the mythology of the ancient Greeks. But they share remarkable similarities with the constellations of the oldest living cultures on the planet.
Research Interests:
History, Ancient History, Cultural History, Classical Archaeology, Anthropology, and 43 morePhilosophy, Classics, Philosophy of Science, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Australian Studies, History of Mathematics, Philosophy Of Mathematics, Linguistic Anthropology, Cosmology (Anthropology), Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Anthropology of Food, Astrology, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Australia, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, History of Astrology, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Classical philology, Ancient Greek Religion, Indigenous Peoples, Ancient Greek History, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Australian Aboriginal art, Classical Mythology, Cultural Astronomy, Cosmology, Astronomy, Aboriginal Studies, Classical sociology, History of astrology and astronomy, History of astronomy, ancient sundials, islamic astronomical instruments, Indigenous Cosmologies, Constellations, Anthropology of Religion, History of Astronomy and Physics, History of Pre-Telescopic Astronomy, and Nomadic/Indigenous People
¿Qué es la Astronomía Cultural? with Alejandro Martin-Lopez and Duane Hamacher. (Article in Spanish)
Research Interests:
Cultural History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, and 46 moreObservational Astronomy, Anthropology, Philosophy, Philosophy of Science, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Languages and Linguistics, Social Sciences, History of Mathematics, Cultural Heritage, Philosophy Of Mathematics, Linguistic Anthropology, Landscape Archaeology, Indigenous education, Social and Cultural Anthropology, History of Science, Archaeological Method & Theory, Australia, Cross-Cultural Studies, Indigenous Knowledge, Social Media, History of Astronomy, History of Astrology, South America (Archaeology), Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Indigenous Peoples Rights, South American indigenous languages, Australian History, Indigenous Peoples, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Central & South America (Anthropology), Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Astronomy, South American Indians, Aboriginal Studies, South America, Astronomia, Australian Aboriginal Languages, Historical Astronomy, History of Pre-Telescopic Astronomy, and Nomadic/Indigenous People
One of the greatest feats of human migration in history was the colonisation of the vast Pacific Ocean by Polynesian peoples. They achieved it thanks to their sophisticated knowledge of positional astronomy and celestial navigation. The... more
One of the greatest feats of human migration in history was the colonisation of the vast Pacific Ocean by Polynesian peoples. They achieved it thanks to their sophisticated knowledge of positional astronomy and celestial navigation. The Disney film Moana has drawn attention to these accomplishments and helped inform a new generation about the complexity of Indigenous astronomy.
Research Interests:
Sociology, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Social Anthropology, Animation, and 52 moreEthnography, Pacific Island Studies, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Polynesian Studies, Pacific Oceania, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Cultures of Oceania, Polynesia, Ethnology, Oceania (Archaeology), Hawaiian Knowledge, Indigenous Peoples, Oceania (Anthropology), Tonga (Anthropology), Wayfinding, Te Reo Māori, Wayfinding Design, New Zealand and Oceania, Cultural Anthropology, Ethnoastronomy, Walt Disney Company, Pacific History, Hawaiian Studies, Maritime and Oceanic History, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, Maori Education, Kaupapa Maori Research, Pacific Islands, Navigation, Cartoons, Maori history, Walt Disney, Polynesian Voyaging, Pacific Studies, Easter Island, Maui History, Hawaiian History, Maori, Oceania, Rapa Nui, Polynesian Archaeology, French Polynesia, Hawaiian culture, Polynesian History, Indigneous Studies, Cultural appropriation, Ethnology and Anthropology of the Guaranis and Polynesians, Samoan Culture, Oceanic Prehistory, and Celestial NAvigation
Ancient Celtic bards were famous for the sheer quantity of information they could memorise. This included thousands of songs, stories, chants and poems that could take hours to recite in full. Today we are pretty spoiled. Practically the... more
Ancient Celtic bards were famous for the sheer quantity of information they could memorise. This included thousands of songs, stories, chants and poems that could take hours to recite in full.
Today we are pretty spoiled. Practically the whole of human knowledge is conveniently available at our fingertips. Why worry about memorising something when we can simply Google it?
Today we are pretty spoiled. Practically the whole of human knowledge is conveniently available at our fingertips. Why worry about memorising something when we can simply Google it?
Research Interests:
Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anthropology, Biological Anthropology, Visual Anthropology, and 23 moreIndigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Historical Archaeology, Landscape Archaeology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Rock Art (Archaeology), Archaeological Method & Theory, Oral history, Oral Traditions, Indigenous Knowledge, Funerary Archaeology, Neolithic Archaeology, Archaeoastronomy, Indigenous Peoples, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Ethnoastronomy, Australian Aboriginal art, Prehistoric Rock Art, Oral History and Memory, Aboriginal Studies, and Nomadic/Indigenous People
Plans to build a new telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawai'i have led to months of
protests and arrests, including several earlier this month. The ongoing protest pitches
astronomers against Hawaiians wanting to protect their sacred site.
protests and arrests, including several earlier this month. The ongoing protest pitches
astronomers against Hawaiians wanting to protect their sacred site.
Research Interests:
Parts of Australia have been privileged to see dazzling lights in the night sky as the Aurora Australis – known as the southern lights – puts on a show this year. A recent surge in solar activity caused spectacular auroral displays across... more
Parts of Australia have been privileged to see dazzling lights in the night sky as the Aurora Australis – known as the southern lights – puts on a show this year. A recent surge in solar activity caused spectacular auroral displays across the world. While common over the polar regions, aurorae are rare over Australia and are typically restricted to far southern regions, such as Tasmania and Victoria.
Research Interests:
Archaeology, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, and 10 moreSocial and Cultural Anthropology, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous ecological knowledges and practices, Cultural Anthropology, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, and Astronomy
Aboriginal stories dating back many thousands of years talk of a fire from the sky in an area now home to the Henbury meteorite craters, in the Northern Territory. Imagine going about your normal day when a brilliant light races across... more
Aboriginal stories dating back many thousands of years talk of a fire from the sky in an area now home to the Henbury meteorite craters, in the Northern Territory. Imagine going about your normal day when a brilliant light races across the sky. It explodes, showering the ground with small stones and sending a shock wave across the land. The accompanying boom is deafening and leaves people running and screaming. This was the description of an incident that occurred over the skies of Chelyabinsk, Russia on February 15, 2013, one of the best recorded meteoritic events in history. This airburst was photographed and videoed by many people so we have a good record of what occurred, which helped explain the nature of the event.
Research Interests:
Indigenous Australian practices, developed and honed over thousands of years, weave science with storytelling. In this Indigenous science series, we’ll look at different aspects of First Australians' traditional life and uncover the... more
Indigenous Australian practices, developed and honed over thousands of years, weave science with storytelling. In this Indigenous science series, we’ll look at different aspects of First Australians' traditional life and uncover the knowledge behind them – starting today with astronomy.
Research Interests:
Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Meteoritics, History of Science, Indigenous Knowledge, and 9 moreArchaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Indigenous Peoples, Aboriginal History in Australia, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, Aboriginal Studies, and Historical Astronomy
Technology has, without doubt, expanded our understanding of space. The Voyager 1 space probe is on the brink of leaving our solar system. Massive telescopes have discovered blasts of fast radio bursts from 10 billion light years away.... more
Technology has, without doubt, expanded our understanding of space. The Voyager 1 space probe is on the brink of leaving our solar system. Massive telescopes have discovered blasts of fast radio bursts from 10 billion light years away. And after a decade on Mars, a Rover recently found evidence for an early ocean on the Red Planet.
But with every new advance, it’s also important to remember the science of astronomy has existed for thousands of years and forms a vital part of Indigenous Australian culture, even today. As an example, let’s explore the astronomy of the Torres Strait Islanders, an Indigenous Australian people living between the tip of Cape York and Papua New Guinea.
But with every new advance, it’s also important to remember the science of astronomy has existed for thousands of years and forms a vital part of Indigenous Australian culture, even today. As an example, let’s explore the astronomy of the Torres Strait Islanders, an Indigenous Australian people living between the tip of Cape York and Papua New Guinea.
Research Interests:
Cultural Studies, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, and 7 moreIndigenous Peoples, Aboriginal History in Australia, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, Guyana, indigneous knowledge, traditional ecological knowlege, and Aboriginal Studies
Aboriginal rock art is under threat. Development and vandalism are eradicating art of the oldest continuous cultures on earth.
Research Interests:
Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, and 10 moreLandscape Archaeology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Rock Art (Archaeology), Aboriginal History in Australia, Cultural Astronomy, Prehistoric Rock Art, Rock Art, Aboriginal Studies, Rock art research, and Indigenous Astronomy
Historian of science David Pingree defines science in a broad context as the process of systematically explaining perceived or imaginary phenomena. Although Westerners tend to think of science being restricted to Western culture, I argue... more
Historian of science David Pingree defines science in a broad context as the process of systematically explaining perceived or imaginary phenomena. Although Westerners tend to think of science being restricted to Western culture, I argue in this thesis that astronomical scientific knowledge is found in Aboriginal traditions. Although research into the astronomical traditions of Aboriginal Australians stretches back for more than 150 years, it is relatively scant in the literature. We do know that the sun, moon, and night sky have been an important and inseparable component of the landscape to hundreds of Australian Aboriginal groups for thousands (perhaps tens-of-thousands) of years. The literature reveals that astronomical knowledge was used for time keeping, denoting seasonal change and the availability of food sources, navigation, and tidal prediction. It was also important for rituals and ceremonies, birth totems, marriage systems, cultural mnemonics, and folklore. Despite this, the field remains relatively unresearched considering the diversity of Aboriginal cultures and the length of time people have inhabited Australia (well over 40,000 years). Additionally, very little research investigating the nature and role of transient celestial phenomena has been conducted, leaving our understanding of Indigenous astronomical knowledge grossly incomplete.
This thesis is an attempt to overcome this deficiency, with a specific focus on transient celestial phenomena. My research, situated in the field of cultural astronomy, draws from the sub-disciplines of archaeoastronomy, ethnoastronomy, historical astronomy, and geomythology. This approach incorporates the methodologies and theories of disciplines in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. This thesis, by publication, makes use of archaeological, ethnographic, and historical records, astronomical software packages, and geographic programs to better understand the ages of astronomical traditions and the role and nature of eclipses, comets, meteors, impact events, and certain variable stars. I also test the hypothesis that certain types of stone arrangements have preferred orientations that probably relate to astronomical phenomena.
This research shows that Aboriginal astronomical traditions explain the motions of celestial bodies and the relationship between events in the sky and events on Earth. I explore how Aboriginal people perceived and made use of particular astronomical phenomena, such as meteors and comets, and show that Aboriginal people made careful observations of the motions of celestial bodies. I provide evidence that Aboriginal people noticed the change in brightness of particular stars, described the kinematics of eclipses, explained how lunar phases are related to ocean tides, and acknowledged the relationship between meteors, meteorites, impact events, and impact craters. I then show that linear stone arrangements in New South Wales have a preferred orientation to the cardinal points and explore astronomical reasons for this. In the Appendix, I include biographical details of William Edward Stanbridge, one of the first people to write in depth about Aboriginal astronomical traditions, which were compiled from historic records.
This thesis is an attempt to overcome this deficiency, with a specific focus on transient celestial phenomena. My research, situated in the field of cultural astronomy, draws from the sub-disciplines of archaeoastronomy, ethnoastronomy, historical astronomy, and geomythology. This approach incorporates the methodologies and theories of disciplines in the natural sciences, social sciences, and humanities. This thesis, by publication, makes use of archaeological, ethnographic, and historical records, astronomical software packages, and geographic programs to better understand the ages of astronomical traditions and the role and nature of eclipses, comets, meteors, impact events, and certain variable stars. I also test the hypothesis that certain types of stone arrangements have preferred orientations that probably relate to astronomical phenomena.
This research shows that Aboriginal astronomical traditions explain the motions of celestial bodies and the relationship between events in the sky and events on Earth. I explore how Aboriginal people perceived and made use of particular astronomical phenomena, such as meteors and comets, and show that Aboriginal people made careful observations of the motions of celestial bodies. I provide evidence that Aboriginal people noticed the change in brightness of particular stars, described the kinematics of eclipses, explained how lunar phases are related to ocean tides, and acknowledged the relationship between meteors, meteorites, impact events, and impact craters. I then show that linear stone arrangements in New South Wales have a preferred orientation to the cardinal points and explore astronomical reasons for this. In the Appendix, I include biographical details of William Edward Stanbridge, one of the first people to write in depth about Aboriginal astronomical traditions, which were compiled from historic records.
Research Interests:
Ethnohistory, Archaeology, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, History of Science, Rock Art (Archaeology), and 16 moreAustralian Indigenous Archaeology, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous ecological knowledges and practices, Geomythology, Ethnoastronomy, Aboriginal Cultures, Cultural Astronomy, Aboriginal Studies, astrophysics, Aboriginal astronomy, archaeoastronomy, Positional Astronomy, Historical Astronomy, and Ethnogeology
To date, more than 300 planets orbiting stars other than our sun have been discovered using a range of observing techniques, with new discoveries occuring monthly. The work in this thesis focused on the detection of exoplanets using the... more
To date, more than 300 planets orbiting stars other than our sun have been discovered using a range of observing techniques, with new discoveries occuring monthly. The work in this thesis focused on the detection of exoplanets using the transit method. Planets orbiting close to their host stars have a roughly 10 per cent chance of eclipsing (transiting) the star, with Jupiter-sized planets causing a one per cent dip in the flux of the star over a few hours. A wealth of orbital and physical information on the system can be extracted from these systems, including the planet density which is essential in constraining models of planetary formation.
To detect these types of planets requires monitoring tens of thousands of stars over a period of months. To accomplish this, we conduct a wide-field survey using the 0.5-meter Automated Patrol Telescope (APT) at Siding Spring Observatory (SSO) in NSW, Australia. Once candidates were selected from the data-set, selection criteria were applied to separate the likely planet candidates from the false-positives. For this thesis, the methods and instrumentation used in attaining data and selecting planet candidates are discussed, as well as the results and analysis of the planet candidates selected from star fields observed from 2004-2007.
Of the 65 planet candidates initially selected from the 25 target fields observed, only two were consistent with a planet transit. These candidates were later determined to be eclipsing binary stars based on follow up observations using the 40-inch telescope, 2.3-m telescope, and the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope, all located at SSO. Additionally, two planet candidates from the SuperWASP-North consortium were observed on the 40-inch telescope. Both proved to be eclipsing binary stars. While no planets were found, our search methods and results are consistent with successful transit surveys targeting similar fields with stars in a similar magnitude range and using similar methods.
To detect these types of planets requires monitoring tens of thousands of stars over a period of months. To accomplish this, we conduct a wide-field survey using the 0.5-meter Automated Patrol Telescope (APT) at Siding Spring Observatory (SSO) in NSW, Australia. Once candidates were selected from the data-set, selection criteria were applied to separate the likely planet candidates from the false-positives. For this thesis, the methods and instrumentation used in attaining data and selecting planet candidates are discussed, as well as the results and analysis of the planet candidates selected from star fields observed from 2004-2007.
Of the 65 planet candidates initially selected from the 25 target fields observed, only two were consistent with a planet transit. These candidates were later determined to be eclipsing binary stars based on follow up observations using the 40-inch telescope, 2.3-m telescope, and the 3.9-m Anglo-Australian Telescope, all located at SSO. Additionally, two planet candidates from the SuperWASP-North consortium were observed on the 40-inch telescope. Both proved to be eclipsing binary stars. While no planets were found, our search methods and results are consistent with successful transit surveys targeting similar fields with stars in a similar magnitude range and using similar methods.
Research Interests:
This paper brings together the chief points raised during FM5 by astronomers, archaeologists , and historians whose research interests centred on novae and supernovae. The common focus was the use of historical observations to study... more
This paper brings together the chief points raised during FM5 by astronomers, archaeologists , and historians whose research interests centred on novae and supernovae. The common focus was the use of historical observations to study transient astronomical phenomena. The presenters covered a wide variety of topics within that theme, and this report summarizes some of the aspects specific to historical novae and supernovae.
Research Interests:
Cultural History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Archaeology, Observational Astronomy, and 15 moreAnthropology, Cosmology (Physics), Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Cultural Heritage, Cosmology (Anthropology), Social and Cultural Anthropology, Oral history, Oral Traditions, History of Astronomy, Indigenous Peoples, Traditional Knowledge, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, and Astronomy
Our team at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) is searching for transiting extrasolar planets using the 0.5 m Automated Patrol Telescope (APT) at Siding Spring Observatory, Australia. We monitor field stars in pairs of fields (2 × 3... more
Our team at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) is searching for transiting extrasolar planets using the 0.5 m Automated Patrol Telescope (APT) at Siding Spring Observatory, Australia. We monitor field stars in pairs of fields (2 × 3 degrees each) at intermediate galactic latitudes (15 • ∼ < |b| ∼ < 45 •), over runs of approximately two months. To date we have identified 62 planet candidates, though follow-up studies have shown most of these to be eclipsing binary stars. For three remaining candidates a planetary origin of the transit signal has not been ruled out. We are currently analysing follow-up data on two of these. A new CCD camera for the APT — currently under construction — will provide higher sensitivity, better image sampling, and up to an 8-fold increase in field of view, increasing our search efficiency accordingly.
Research Interests:
The University of New South Wales is undertaking a search for transiting extrasolar planets using the Automated Patrol Telescope (APT) at Siding Spring Observatory (SSO), Australia tep{hidas2005}. Many varieties of variable stellar... more
The University of New South Wales is undertaking a search for transiting extrasolar planets using the Automated Patrol Telescope (APT) at Siding Spring Observatory (SSO), Australia tep{hidas2005}. Many varieties of variable stellar phenomena will be found among the high precision lightcurves generated, including eclipsing and contact binaries, and numerous classes of variable stars tep{christiansen2006}. Eclipsing low-mass binary stars are extremely
Research Interests:
Re: Hamacher, D.W., and Norris, R.P., 2011. Comets in Australian Aboriginal Astronomy. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 14(1), 31-40. “Bortle (1998)”, which I cite on page 35 does not appear in the References section. The... more
Re: Hamacher, D.W., and Norris, R.P., 2011. Comets in Australian Aboriginal Astronomy. Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, 14(1), 31-40.
“Bortle (1998)”, which I cite on page 35 does not appear in the References section. The reference (which also has an incorrect date) is:
Bortle, J.E., 1997. Great comets in history. Sky & Telescope, 93(1), 44-50.
My apologies for not catching this previously.
“Bortle (1998)”, which I cite on page 35 does not appear in the References section. The reference (which also has an incorrect date) is:
Bortle, J.E., 1997. Great comets in history. Sky & Telescope, 93(1), 44-50.
My apologies for not catching this previously.
The study of Australian ethnoastronomy (com-monly called „Indigenous astronomy‟) has ex-perienced a surge of interest in recent years as researchers focus on exploring the astronomical knowledge and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres... more
The study of Australian ethnoastronomy (com-monly called „Indigenous astronomy‟) has ex-perienced a surge of interest in recent years as researchers focus on exploring the astronomical knowledge and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures. This focus re-sulted in a significant number of refereed papers that have appeared in the literature (particularly in this journal), as well as postgraduate theses and educational programs. The Journal of Astro-nomical History and Heritage (JAHH) has been a major outlet for research on indigenous astron-omy since 2009, with the publication of five papers on Aboriginal Australian astronomy, six papers on indigenous astronomy in India, and one paper on Maori astronomy in New Zealand.
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It is with great sadness that I report the passing of Dr Dianne Johnson in May 2012. Dr Johnson was a pivotal and important figure in the field of Australian cultural astronomy and in the campaign for Aboriginal rights.
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The Hon William Edward Stanbridge (Esq, M.L.C., J.P.) was a prominent gure in colonial Victoria during the second half of the nineteenth century. After leaving England to pursue his fortune in Australia, he became a wealthy pastoralist... more
The Hon William Edward Stanbridge (Esq, M.L.C., J.P.) was a prominent gure in
colonial Victoria during the second half of the nineteenth century. After leaving England
to pursue his fortune in Australia, he became a wealthy pastoralist and mining
investor, a prominent politician, philanthropist, supporter of women's su rage, and a
writer of Aboriginal knowledge, yet little has been written about his life. His papers
on Boorong society and astronomy are not only the only records of that culture in the
literature, but continue to yield new discoveries 150 years later.
colonial Victoria during the second half of the nineteenth century. After leaving England
to pursue his fortune in Australia, he became a wealthy pastoralist and mining
investor, a prominent politician, philanthropist, supporter of women's su rage, and a
writer of Aboriginal knowledge, yet little has been written about his life. His papers
on Boorong society and astronomy are not only the only records of that culture in the
literature, but continue to yield new discoveries 150 years later.
Research Interests:
In response to the letter by Gorelli (2010) about Hamacher & Norris (2010), he is quite right about Aboriginal people witnessing impact events in Australia. There are several oral traditions regarding impact sites, some of which were... more
In response to the letter by Gorelli (2010) about Hamacher & Norris (2010), he is quite right about Aboriginal people witnessing impact events in Australia. There are several oral traditions regarding impact sites, some of which were probably witnessed, as Gorelli pointed out. The Henbury craters he mentions, with a young age of only ~4200 years, have oral traditions that seem to describe a cosmic impact, including an aversion to drinking water that collects in the craters in fear that the fire-devil (which came from the sun, according to an Elder) would rain iron in them again. Other impact sites, such as Gosse’s Bluff crater (Tnorala in the Arrernte language) and Wolfe Creek crater (Kandimalal in the Djaru language) have associated impact stories, despite their old ages (142 Ma and ~0.3 Ma, respectively).
In addition, many fireball and airburst events are described in Aboriginal oral traditions, a number of which seem to indicate impact events that are unknown to Western science. I have published a full treatise of meteorite falls and impact events in Australian Aboriginal culture that I would like to bring to the attention of Gorelli and WGN readers (Hamacher & Norris, 2009). Although our paper was published in the 2009 volume of Archaeoastronomy, it did not appear in print until just recently, which is probably why it has gone unnoticed. Recent papers describing the association between meteorites and Aboriginal cosmology (Hamacher, 2011) and comets in Aboriginal culture (Hamacher & Norris, 2011) have also been published, and would likely be of interest to WGN readers.
I heartily agree with Gorelli that oral traditions are fast disappearing, taking with them a wealth of information about not only that peoples’ culture, but also about past geologic and astronomical events, such as meteorite falls and cosmic impacts (a branch of the growing field of Geomythology). There is an old saying that ‘when a man dies, a library goes with him’. This is certainly the case in Australia, and along with Gorelli, I encourage WGN readers to get involved in studying meteoritic events in oral traditions. There is a lot of information regarding meteoritical events and phenomena in the literature that is still waiting to be collected and analysed ...and I applaud McBeath for his pursuit to publish this material through the successful Meteor Beliefs Project!
In addition, many fireball and airburst events are described in Aboriginal oral traditions, a number of which seem to indicate impact events that are unknown to Western science. I have published a full treatise of meteorite falls and impact events in Australian Aboriginal culture that I would like to bring to the attention of Gorelli and WGN readers (Hamacher & Norris, 2009). Although our paper was published in the 2009 volume of Archaeoastronomy, it did not appear in print until just recently, which is probably why it has gone unnoticed. Recent papers describing the association between meteorites and Aboriginal cosmology (Hamacher, 2011) and comets in Aboriginal culture (Hamacher & Norris, 2011) have also been published, and would likely be of interest to WGN readers.
I heartily agree with Gorelli that oral traditions are fast disappearing, taking with them a wealth of information about not only that peoples’ culture, but also about past geologic and astronomical events, such as meteorite falls and cosmic impacts (a branch of the growing field of Geomythology). There is an old saying that ‘when a man dies, a library goes with him’. This is certainly the case in Australia, and along with Gorelli, I encourage WGN readers to get involved in studying meteoritic events in oral traditions. There is a lot of information regarding meteoritical events and phenomena in the literature that is still waiting to be collected and analysed ...and I applaud McBeath for his pursuit to publish this material through the successful Meteor Beliefs Project!
Research Interests:
The witness and cultural impact of meteorite falls and cosmic impacts has been studied extensively in some world cultures, including cultures of Europe, China, and the Middle East. However, ethnographic records and oral traditions of... more
The witness and cultural impact of meteorite falls and cosmic impacts has been studied extensively in some world cultures, including cultures of Europe, China, and the Middle East. However, ethnographic records and oral traditions of meteorite falls in Aboriginal culture remain relatively unknown to the scientific community. Various Aboriginal stories from across Australia describe meteorite falls with seemingly accurate detail, frequently citing a specific location, including Wilcannia, NSW; Meteor Island, WA; Hermannsburg, NT; McGrath Flat, SA; and Bodena, NSW among others. Most of these falls and impact sites are unknown to Western science. In addition, some confirmed impact structures are described in Aboriginal lore as having cosmic origins, including the Gosse's Bluff and Wolfe Creek craters. This paper attempts to analyse and synthesize the plethora of fragmented historic, archaeological, and ethnographic data that describe meteorite falls and cosmic impacts in the mythologies and oral traditions spanning the 300+ distinct Aboriginal groups of Australia. Where applicable, coordinates of the reputed falls and impacts are cited in order for future inspections of these sights for evidence of meteoritic masterial or impact cratering.
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Some of the information in this abstract is incorrect (specifically related to the presence, or lack, of shocked quartz). An updated peer reviewed paper on this structure and survey has recently been published in the 2011 proceedings of... more
Some of the information in this abstract is incorrect (specifically related to the presence, or lack, of shocked quartz). An updated peer reviewed paper on this structure and survey has recently been published in the 2011 proceedings of the Australian Space Sciences Conference.
The witness and cultural impact of meteorite falls and cosmic impacts has been studied extensively in some world cultures, including cultures of Europe, China, and the Middle East [1]. However, ethnographic records and oral tradi- tions of meteorite falls in Aboriginal culture remain relatively unknown to the scientific community. Various Aboriginal stories from across Australia describe meteorite falls with seemingly accurate detail, frequently citing a specific location, including Wilcannia, NSW; Meteor Island, WA; Hermannsburg, NT; McGrath Flat, SA; and Bodena, NSW among others. Most of these falls and impact sites are unknown to Western science. In addition, some confirmed impact structures are described in Abo- riginal lore as having cosmic origins, including the Gosse’s Bluff [2] and Wolfe Creek craters [3]. This paper attempts to analyse and synthesize the plethora of fragmented historic, archaeologi- cal, and ethnographic data that describe meteorite falls and cos- mic impacts in the mythologies and oral traditions spanning the 300+ distinct Aboriginal groups of Australia. Where applicable, coordinates of the reputed falls and impacts are cited in order for future inspections of these sights for evidence of meteoritic mate- rial or impact cratering.
The witness and cultural impact of meteorite falls and cosmic impacts has been studied extensively in some world cultures, including cultures of Europe, China, and the Middle East [1]. However, ethnographic records and oral tradi- tions of meteorite falls in Aboriginal culture remain relatively unknown to the scientific community. Various Aboriginal stories from across Australia describe meteorite falls with seemingly accurate detail, frequently citing a specific location, including Wilcannia, NSW; Meteor Island, WA; Hermannsburg, NT; McGrath Flat, SA; and Bodena, NSW among others. Most of these falls and impact sites are unknown to Western science. In addition, some confirmed impact structures are described in Abo- riginal lore as having cosmic origins, including the Gosse’s Bluff [2] and Wolfe Creek craters [3]. This paper attempts to analyse and synthesize the plethora of fragmented historic, archaeologi- cal, and ethnographic data that describe meteorite falls and cos- mic impacts in the mythologies and oral traditions spanning the 300+ distinct Aboriginal groups of Australia. Where applicable, coordinates of the reputed falls and impacts are cited in order for future inspections of these sights for evidence of meteoritic mate- rial or impact cratering.
Planetary Nebulae (PNe) represent the final phase of evolution for intermediate mass stars, and are major contributors to the enrichment of the interstellar medium (ISM). In PNe, a hot central star illuminates a gas and dust shell which... more
Planetary Nebulae (PNe) represent the final phase of evolution for intermediate mass stars, and are major contributors to the enrichment of the interstellar medium (ISM). In PNe, a hot central star illuminates a gas and dust shell which was ejected during earlier evolutionary phases. A better understanding of the nature of the molecular and ionized gas envelopes of PNe is important to our understanding of the evolution of PNe and their contribution of heavy elements and dust to the ISM. Knots and filaments in the ionized gas images of PNe are common, if not ubiquitous. For a few PNe, it has been shown that these knots coincide with the molecular gas, suggesting that molecules exist inside dense condensations within the ionized regions. The origins of these clumps are not known. We present a preliminary study of the morphologies of both molecular and ionized gas for four PNe that have been imaged by both WFPC2 and NICMOS (in the 2.12μ m H2 line). We compare structure and appearance of the knots as seen in ionized and molecular gas for each PNe in order to gain a better understanding of the nature of these knots. Furthermore, the knots in different nebulae are compared to assess the effect of the evolutionary status of the whole PN on the the structure and appearance of the knots. This study will aid in our understanding of the origin of the molecular knots, as well as the enrichment of the ISM by dying intermediate mass stars.
Over 190 meteorite confirmed craters are scattered around the world that have been identified by Western science, including several in Australia, that have long been known by Indigenous peoples. Most craters have been named after local... more
Over 190 meteorite confirmed craters are scattered around the world that have been identified by Western science, including several in Australia, that have long been known by Indigenous peoples. Most craters have been named after local landscape features and regions, people, or other characteristics (such as their appearance). In some cases, this practice has led to some craters bearing offensive names. This paper argues for the establishment of formal guidelines for naming meteorite craters, using Australia as a test case, with hopes the guidelines can be adopted by the rest of the meteoritics community throughout the world. This paper discusses Indigenous names and traditions of meteorite craters, issues with nomenclature, sensitivities to consider, and approaches to establishing guidelines for crater nomenclature. Notice to readers: This article discusses placenames that are considered offensive.
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Sociology, Geography, Archaeology, Earth Sciences, Geology, and 15 moreAnthropology, Philosophy of Science, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Languages and Linguistics, Social Sciences, Meteoritics, History of Science, Oral history, Indigenous Knowledge, Place-Names, Indigenous Peoples, Astronomy, Nomenclature, and Impact craters
This preliminary report details a potential 2.1 km-wide astrobleme located between Gregory and Bradshaw in Australia's Northern Territory (15° 10' 27.97" S, 131° 01' 11.64" E). The structure, identified using satellite imagery and one of... more
This preliminary report details a potential 2.1 km-wide astrobleme located between Gregory and Bradshaw in Australia's Northern Territory (15° 10' 27.97" S, 131° 01' 11.64" E). The structure, identified using satellite imagery and one of several proposed impact craters identified across Australia, is of particular interest as it is a rare example of a basalt target impact. Erosion rates suggest the proposed highly eroded, simple crater formed between 125 Mya to 460 Mya.
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Archaeology, Anthropology, Australian Studies, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Australian Indigenous languages, and 15 moreAustralia, Australian society, Applied Linguistics, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Australian History, Aboriginal History in Australia, Aboriginal education, Ancient Astronomy, Astronomy, Antropología, Adelaide, Aboriginal Studies, Australian cultural history, and Australian Aboriginal Languages
Research Interests:
History, Ethnohistory, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Ethnography, and 15 moreAustralian Indigenous languages, History and Philosophy of Physics, Indigenous Knowledge, Ethnology, History of Physics, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Astrophysics, Cultural Anthropology, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, Aboriginal Studies, Ethnoastronomy Archeoastronomy, and Australian Aboriginal cultural astronomy
Research Interests:
History, Sociology, Physics, Publishing, Australia, and 6 moreArchaeoastronomy, Ethnoastronomy, Rock Art, Ceremony, Aboriginal, and Sky
Research Interests:
Anthropology, Australian Studies, Atmospheric Science, Atmospheric Physics, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, and 15 moreAustralia, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Australian History, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Aboriginal education, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Astronomy, Aboriginal Studies, Aurora Borealis, Aurorae, Aboriginal Australians, and Aurora Australis
Research Interests:
Geography, Archaeology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Ethnoarchaeology, and 14 moreCultural Heritage, Ethnography, Landscape Archaeology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Indigenous Knowledge, Australian Indigenous Studies, Indigenous Peoples, Aboriginal History in Australia, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Aboriginal Studies, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders, and Australian Aboriginal cultural astronomy
The Emu in the Sky is one of Australia’s most famous dark constellations, holding special meaning for Aboriginal Australians. Now, it is being commemorated by the Royal Australian Mint
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History, Cultural Studies, Economics, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, and 15 moreIndigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Languages and Linguistics, Cultural Heritage, Conservation Biology, History of Science, Oral history, Biology, Ecology, Indigenous Peoples, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, Oral History and Memory, Australian Aboriginal Languages, Oral History, and Pursuit
Cultures around the world find meaning in the shapes of stars and features in the Milky Way. The striking appearance of our galaxy in the night sky serves as a reference to traditional knowledge, encoding science and culture to a memory... more
Cultures around the world find meaning in the shapes of stars and features in the Milky Way. The striking appearance of our galaxy in the night sky serves as a reference to traditional knowledge, encoding science and culture to a memory space, becoming part of their overarching cosmologies. This paper examines traditional views of the Milky Way from cultures around the world, primarily in the Southern Hemisphere. These views comprise dark constellations: familiar shapes made up of the dark dust lanes in the Milky Way, rather than the bright stars. Some of the better-known examples include the celestial emu from Aboriginal traditions of Australia, and the llama in Inca traditions of the Andes. We conduct a comparative analysis of cultural perceptions of dark constellations in the Milky Way, examining common cultural themes and meanings at the crossroads of Indigenous Knowledge and Western science.
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Cultural Studies, Native American Studies, Archaeology, Prehistoric Archaeology, Anthropology, and 15 moreIndigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Cultural Heritage, Landscape Archaeology, Oral history, Oral Traditions, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Indigenous Peoples, Cultural Anthropology, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, Milky Way, Constellation, and Oral History
Descriptions of cosmic impacts and meteorite falls are found throughout Australian Aboriginal oral traditions. In some cases, these texts describe the impact event in detail, suggesting that the events were witnessed, sometimes citing the... more
Descriptions of cosmic impacts and meteorite falls are found throughout Australian Aboriginal oral traditions. In some cases, these texts describe the impact event in detail, suggesting that the events were witnessed, sometimes citing the location. We explore whether cosmic impacts and meteorite falls may have been witnessed by Aboriginal Australians and incorporated into their oral traditions. We discuss the complications and bias in recording and analysing oral texts but suggest that these texts may be used both to locate new impact structures or meteorites and model observed impact events. We find that, while detailed Aboriginal descriptions of cosmic impacts and meteorite falls are abundant in the literature, there is currently no physical evidence connecting any of these accounts to impact events currently known to Western science. Notice to Aboriginal Readers This paper gives the names of, or references to, Aboriginal people that have passed away throughout, and to information...
Song and dance are a traditional means of strengthening culture and passing knowledge to successive generations in the Torres Strait of northeastern Australia. Dances incorporate a range of apparatuses to enhance the performance, such as... more
Song and dance are a traditional means of strengthening culture and passing knowledge to successive generations in the Torres Strait of northeastern Australia. Dances incorporate a range of apparatuses to enhance the performance, such as dance machines (Zamiyakal) and headdresses (Dhari). The dances, songs, headdresses and dance machines work together to transfer important knowledge about subsistence survival, social structure, and cultural continuity. This paper explores how celestial phenomena inspire and inform music and dance.
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Cultures around the world find meaning in the groupings of stars and features in the Milky Way. The striking appearance of our Galaxy in the night sky serves as a reference to traditional knowledge, encoding science and culture to a... more
Cultures around the world find meaning in the groupings of stars and features in the Milky Way. The striking appearance of our Galaxy in the night sky serves as a reference to traditional knowledge, encoding science and culture to a memory space, becoming part of their overarching cosmologies. This paper examines traditional views of the Milky Way from cultures around the world, primarily in the Southern Hemisphere. These views comprise dark constellations: familiar shapes made up of the dark dust lanes in the Milky Way, rather than the bright stars. Some of the better-known examples include the celestial emu from Aboriginal traditions of Australia, and the llama in Inca traditions of the Andes. We conduct a comparative analysis of cultural perceptions of ‘dark constellations’ in the Milky Way, examining common cultural themes and meanings at the crossroads of Indigenous Knowledge and Western science with applications to topics ranging from Indigenous Studies to psychology.
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We investigate an Australian Aboriginal cultural story that seems to describe an extraordinary series of astronomical events occurring at the same time. We hypothesise that this was a witnessed natural event and explore natural phenomena... more
We investigate an Australian Aboriginal cultural story that seems to describe an extraordinary series of astronomical events occurring at the same time. We hypothesise that this was a witnessed natural event and explore natural phenomena that could account for the description. We select a thunderstorm, total solar eclipse, and strong Aurora Australis as the most likely candidates, then conclude a plausible date of 764 CE. We evaluate the different factors that would determine whether all these events could have been visible, include meteorological data, alternative total solar eclipse dates, solar activity cycles, aurorae appearances, and sky brightness during total solar eclipses. We conduct this study as a test-case for rigorously and systematically examining descriptions of rare natural phenomena in oral traditions, highlighting the difficulties and challenges with interpreting this type of hypothesis.
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Ancient History, Archaeology, Anthropology, Atmospheric Chemistry, Atmospheric Science, and 15 moreAtmospheric Physics, Anthropology of space, Atmospheric Modeling, Archaeoastronomy, Atmospheric Dynamics, Aboriginal History in Australia, Activist Ethnography, Aboriginal education, Ancient Astronomy, Astronomy, Atmospheric sciences, Aboriginal Studies, Astronomy and Space Science, Aurora Borealis, and Aboriginal Nutrition and Cultural and Traditional Knowledge
Light pollution is actively destroying our ability to see the stars. Many Indigenous traditions and knowledge systems around the world are based on the stars, and the peoples' ability to observe and interpret stellar positions and... more
Light pollution is actively destroying our ability to see the stars. Many Indigenous traditions and knowledge systems around the world are based on the stars, and the peoples' ability to observe and interpret stellar positions and properties is of critical importance for daily life and cultural continuity. The erasure of the night sky acts to erase Indigenous connection to the stars, acting as a form of ongoing cultural and ecological genocide. Efforts to reduce, minimise, or eliminate light pollution are being achieved with varying degrees of success, but urban expansion, poor lighting design, and the increased use of blue-light emitting LEDs as a cost-effective solution is worsening problems related to human health, wildlife, and astronomical heritage for the benefit of capitalistic economic growth. We provide a brief overview of the issue, illustrating some of the important connections that the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people of Australia maintain with the stars,...
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History, Physics, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, and 15 moreDesign, Interdisciplinarity, Landscape Architecture, Genocide Studies, Political Science, Colonialism, Ecology, Astrophysics, Environmental Pollution, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, LED Lighting, Genocide, Light Pollution, and Indigenous
Plans to build a new telescope on Mauna Kea in Hawai&#39;i have led to months of protests and arrests, including several earlier this month. The ongoing protest pitches astronomers against Hawaiians wanting to protect their sacred site.
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Research Interests:
History, Anthropology, Animation, Ethnography, Cultures of Oceania, and 15 moreEthnology, Hawaiian Knowledge, Cultural Anthropology, Ethnoastronomy, Hawaiian Studies, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, Cartoons, Easter Island, Hawaiian History, French Polynesia, Hawaiian culture, Cultural appropriation, Ethnology and Anthropology of the Guaranis and Polynesians, and Celestial NAvigation
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Anthropology, Australian Studies, Ethnography, Australian Indigenous Archaeology, Anthropology and Sexuality, and 15 moreAustralia, Australian Indigenous Studies, Australian History, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Astronomy, Color symbolism, Aboriginal Studies, Australian Aboriginal Languages, Anthropology of Religion, Ethnoastronomy Archeoastronomy, and Brightness
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Aboriginal stories dating back many thousands of years talk of a fire from the sky in an area now home to the Henbury meteorite craters, in the Northern Territory
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Parts of Australia have been privileged to see dazzling lights in the night sky as the Aurora Australis (known as the southern lights) puts on a show this year. Aurorae are significant in Australian Indigenous astronomical traditions.... more
Parts of Australia have been privileged to see dazzling lights in the night sky as the Aurora Australis (known as the southern lights) puts on a show this year. Aurorae are significant in Australian Indigenous astronomical traditions. Aboriginal people associate aurorae with fire, death, blood, and omens, sharing many similarities with Native American communities.
Research Interests:
Geography, Archaeology, Physics, Anthropology, Indigenous Studies, and 14 moreIndigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Social Anthropology, Social and Cultural Anthropology, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Indigenous Peoples, Indigenous ecological knowledges and practices, Cultural Anthropology, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Astronomy, Sky, and Indigenous
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Research Interests:
Cultural History, Ethnohistory, Cultural Studies, Cultural Geography, Anthropology, and 15 moreCultural Heritage, Ethnography, Cultural Landscapes, Australia, Culture, Cultural Tourism, Ethnology, Ethnomethodology, Australian Indigenous Studies, Australian History, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Aboriginal Studies, Ethnography Research methodology, and Ethnogeology
We review the literature for perceptions of meteors in the Maori culture of Aotearoa or New Zealand. We examine representations of meteors in religion, story, and ceremony. We find that meteors are sometimes personified as gods or... more
We review the literature for perceptions of meteors in the Maori culture of Aotearoa or New Zealand. We examine representations of meteors in religion, story, and ceremony. We find that meteors are sometimes personified as gods or children, or are seen as omens of death and destruction. The stories we found highlight the broad perception of meteors found throughout the Maori culture, and note that some early scholars conflated the terms comet and meteor.4 page(s
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Research Interests:
History, Physics, Indigenous Studies, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, Meteoritics, and 14 moreHistory of Science, Storytelling, Indigenous Knowledge, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Indigenous Peoples, Aboriginal History in Australia, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Astronomy, Aboriginal Studies, Historical Astronomy, Sky, and Indigenous
Research Interests:
Cultural Studies, Archaeology, Anthropology, Australian Studies, Cultural Heritage, and 15 moreAustralian Indigenous Archaeology, Australian Indigenous languages, Australia, Culture, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Cultural Anthropology, Aboriginal History in Australia, Aboriginal education, Ethnoastronomy, Cultural Astronomy, Ancient Astronomy, Astronomy, Aboriginal Studies, and Aboriginal Australians
Research Interests:
Ethnohistory, Geography, Archaeology, Indigenous or Aboriginal Studies, History of Science, and 15 moreAustralian Indigenous Archaeology, Indigenous Knowledge, History of Astronomy, Archaeoastronomy, Australian Indigenous Studies, Indigenous ecological knowledges and practices, Geomythology, Ethnoastronomy, Aboriginal Cultures, Cultural Astronomy, Aboriginal Studies, Historical Astronomy, Ethnogeology, Eta Carinae, and Aboriginal Australians
Description We present a comprehensive analysis of Australian Aboriginal accounts of meteors. The data used were taken from anthropological and ethnographic literature describing oral traditions, ceremonies, and Dreamings of 97 Aboriginal... more
Description We present a comprehensive analysis of Australian Aboriginal accounts of meteors. The data used were taken from anthropological and ethnographic literature describing oral traditions, ceremonies, and Dreamings of 97 Aboriginal groups representing all states of modern Australia. This revealed common themes in the way meteors were viewed between Aboriginal groups, focusing on supernatural events, death, omens, and war. The presence of such themes around Australia was probably due to the ...
Description We present 25 accounts of comets from 40 Australian Aboriginal communities, citing both supernatural perceptions of comets and historical accounts of historically bright comets. Historical and ethnographic descriptions include... more
Description We present 25 accounts of comets from 40 Australian Aboriginal communities, citing both supernatural perceptions of comets and historical accounts of historically bright comets. Historical and ethnographic descriptions include the Great Comets of 1843, 1861, 1901, 1910, and 1927. We describe the perceptions of comets in Aboriginal societies and show that they are typically associated with fear, death, omens, malevolent spirits, and evil magic, consistent with many cultures around the world. We also provide a list of words for ...