Ancient Astronomy

The Spartan King Agesilaus II left his throne in Sparta and went out to work as a mercenary in Egypt after he faced many military clashes (396-362B.C.) that forced him to search for a source of livelihood outside his homeland, to benefit from that livelihood as part of the power of Sparta. Agesilaus did not find better than Egypt (after its independence from Persian Empire in 404B.C.) which shared the hostility of the Persians and gathered mercenary soldiers for profitable wages. In Egypt, the mercenary commander Agesilaus with a thousand of his soldiers did his job to the fullest and was able to get the hoped-for price in 360B.C. from the Egyptian King Nectanebo II (the last king of the pharaohs). Hence the importance of the subject which is the embodiment of King Agesilaus of the meaning of sacrifice for the sake of the homeland, and that is by displaying the struggle of that king and deducing the extent to which Spartans benefited from that sacrifice. This study begins by observing the circumstances that prepared that king to abandon his position and seek as a mercenary through by First: "The Spartan king in Sparta and Asia Minor". Then display the National Mission of Agesilaus in Egypt by Second: "Mercenary Agesilaus in Egypt".

The phases of an E-Group in San Bartolo have painted and incised elements that date to between 300 and 200 BCE. Among these is what seems to be a  date, 7 Manik, which is peculiar in that the day glyph is a deer head instead of the typical Manik sign. I propose that the glyph is intentionally conflating a tzolk'in day with a ja'ab day because the building is emphasizing the equinoxes and because on such dates occur ja'ab dates "Seating of either the month Keej (Deer) and the month Sip (Deer spirit protector)" on March 21 and September 22--in the correlation proposed by the author since 2013.

La arqueoastronomía y la etnoastronomía, ambas como pilares de la astronomía cultural, aportan innovadoras interpretaciones al conocimiento de las sociedades antiguas. Para lograrlo, realizan una escrupulosa observación del cielo y un exhaustivo análisis arqueológico, histórico y documental. El lector encontrará en este libro una aproximación general de lo que fue la astronomía ancestral en el territorio que hoy ocupa la nación mexicana. Es un libro único en su género de interés para especialistas y el público en general.

We present an iconographical study of the largely unpublished pictorial cycle of the History of Astronomy in the roman Palazzo Patrizi-Montoro, dated about 1700. The work is unprecedented in its range and scopes and constitutes the decoration of the hitherto unknown observatory of the artists- astronomers Mariano and Francesco Felice Patrizi, active during the pontificate of Innocens XII and Clemens XI. The sequence of eighteen
large-format paintings, complemented by four single herms carrying astronomical attributes, is presently preserved in the original Atelier-Specola of the attic of the building and in the second floor where some canvases have been moved, with the exception of a painting (recovered on an old photographic plate) and a herm, that appear to be missing. A large
celestial planisphere painted on a ceiling of the attic and some astronomical instruments are also surviving. The cycle features 85 historical episodes since the first century BC to the XVII century AD, some explained with a short textual description, but the majority associated only to a year, often imprecise or plainly wrong. We propose identifications for
a number of antiquarian architectural settings and a general discussion of the iconographic themes represented. Furthermore, we show some interesting visual evidences of an influence by the astronomer and proto archeologist Francesco Bianchini, at the time superintendent of the Roman Antiquities for Clement XI.

En esta primera edición de la revista AstrodidaXis, se compilan resúmenes de las
conferencias realizadas en el marco del I Workshop Sobre Enseñanza De La
Astronomía “Desde Nuestra Tierra Al Espacio”, Evento que se consolido como un
encuentro académico de experiencias en la enseñanza de la astronomía, enmarcado
en la IV semana del planeta Tierra organizada por la Universidad Pedagógica y
Tecnológica de Colombia entre los días 19 al 23 de abril del 2021, el mismo fue la
actividad final de dicha semana el día 23 de abril a la 13:30 horas Colombia (11:30 am
Arizona) (3:30 pm Brasil, Argentina) y hasta las 17:00 h Colombia. El desarrollo del
evento se dio por Zoom con trasmisión a YouTube, las preguntas, opiniones y
percepciones fueron tomados desde el chat e informados por el equipo de
AstrodidaXis al zoom.
El propósito del evento fue reconocer experiencias en enseñanza, divulgación y
culturización en astronomía, en diferentes contextos del continente americano, a fin
de que se pueda movilizar el desarrollo operativo de la red AstrodidaXis y articular los
esfuerzos en el campo, desde regiones como la Orinoquía y los campos boyacenses
en Colombia.
Nuestro público objetivo fueron docentes de diferentes niveles de formación,
estudiantes de educación secundaria, pregrado y posgrado, astrónomos, físicos y
divulgadores científicos.
Se espera así relatar las experiencias de los participantes, como insumo de reflexión
y propuesta para los participantes de la red AstrodidaXis en la proyección de los
nuevos insumos educativos y didácticos, para la enseñanza de la astronomía en
nuestros territorios

The apprehension of Time and Space among the Celts: the study of the orientations of sanctuaries and sacred spaces.

Study of the orientations of the sanctuaries in Gaul: Ancient written sources inform us about the astronomical knowledge acquired and put into practice by the Gauls. César, in the Gallic war, indicates that the druids have a thorough knowledge of the movement of the stars and that they transmit it to youth. Pliny the Elder describes the religious practice of picking mistletoe on the sixth day of the Moon. This astronomical science of the Gauls established by written sources is difficult to materialize in proposals for iconographic studies. This aporia in the state of research is accentuated by the old historiographical debate between those, in the majority, who follow the teaching of Camille Jullian by denying the interest of the insular Celtic texts considered too late and Christianized, and those, in the minority, who follow the studies of Arbois de Jubainville and which support the interest of these texts. To get out of this impasse, it is necessary to build a serial data set likely to overcome this aporia. For this, our hypothesis maintains that the druids have astronomical knowledge - attested by Caesar and other ancient authors - and that the privileged places of expression of this knowledge are the Gallic sanctuaries and their Gallo-Roman heirs through their orientations.
This postulate can also be based, in a certain way, on the identification of
orientations for the sacred sites (funerary or cult) prior to the period studied here, which have been the subject of numerous publications.

The article provides a reconstruction of Eudoxus' approach to simultaneous risings and settings in his two works dedicated to the issue: the Phaenomena and the Enoptron. This reconstruction is based on the analysis of Eudoxus' fragments transmitted by Hipparchus. These fragments are difficult and problematic, but a close analysis and a comparison with the corresponding passages in Aratus suggests a possible solution.

Global anthropologic surveys of hunter-gatherers as well as classical literature from ancient peoples widely record the teachings of their cultural stories through structurally common narratives of journeys in their sacred landscapes. These narratives, typically of a hero on his or her journey, often include elements designating time of day and seasons with those sacred landscapes. This time-factoring is sometimes described by the sun, moon and stars, as well as illustrative changes in flora and fauna. Interacting characters frequently involve anthropomorphic deities, humans, animals, and mixtures of the three. The relatively uniform structures of journey narratives worldwide appear integral to the human experience and presumably emerged before rock art.

This study examined indigenous Basque and ancient Phoenician, Greek and Roman myths in the context of historically recorded mountain faces, rocky areas, bodies of water, and other features of the natural environment that are often still revered in the region. Digital images of Iberian cave images were then visually compared with those landscapes for possible matches.

The findings of this study suggest that Upper Paleolithic artists on the Iberian Peninsula found pareidolia in their natural environment and projected those visualizations into their rock art. Real and supernatural characters, geographical features and motifs, some that may still be recognized in Iberian mythology and Mediterranean region classical literature were surfaced. This study also suggests that structural characteristics of the journey narrative with their descriptive sacred landscapes may be studied with rock art in other regions to better understand geographical uniqueness and perspectives of the original artists.

In this study, we constructed the data table of acupoint functions (i.e., acupoint indications and clinical applications) based on the previously developed information system of acupoint diagnosis and treatment in Traditional Chinese Medicine. Based on the data table of acupoint functions, between-acupoint point correlations were calculated. Acupoints with statistically significant point correlations were linked to construct the acupoint network with functional similarity. The degree centrality values of acupoints (totally 311 acupoints) showed that the acupoints Zhengying (GB17), Qinglengyuan (SJ11), Jiaji (EX-B2), etc. have the highest degree centrality values. Most of these acupoints are located on the head and neck, and their functions are universal. The acupoints Yinbai (SP1) and Zhongkui (EX-UE4) have strong specific functions and weak substitutability. The results of frequency distribution, skewness, aggregation index, coefficient of variation, entropy, and probability distributions showed that the obtained acupoint network is a scale-free complex network. Among them, the probability density function of the power law distribution is p(x)=x-6.1818 , x≥36.

http://www.iaees.org/publications/journals/nb/articles/2023-13(3)/1-Zhang-Abstract.asp

Network Biology (ISSN 2220-8879; CODEN NBEICS)

Volume 13, Number 3, 1 September 2023
http://www.iaees.org/publications/journals/nb/articles/2023-13(3)/2023-13(3).asp

Articles

Construction and analysis of acupoint network with functional similarity in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Network Biology, 2023, 13(3): 74-83
WenJun Zhang, YanHong Qi
[Abstract] [XML] [EndNote] [RefManager] [BibTex] [DOAJ] [PubMed]
[ Full PDF (278K)][Supplementary Material (449K)][Chinese Version (411K)][Animated Interactive Network]
[Email Article] [Comment/Review Article]

Graphical representation of genetic code algebra
Network Biology, 2023, 13(3): 84-97
Birinchi Kumar Boruah, Tazid Ali
[Abstract] [XML] [EndNote] [RefManager] [BibTex] [DOAJ] [PubMed]
[ Full PDF (744K)]
[Email Article] [Comment/Review Article]

In our previous book version, Odhiambo & Linda (2023) we noted that we had over-explained ourselves in some parts and the Excel files were not all visible. In this sequel, the attempt is to simplify the formulae and enhance the visibility of what we intended to portray in Odhiambo & Linda (2023). In addition, we intend to provide the mathematical proof that there is a possibility that all planets might have radii and diameters that are whole numbers. For those who are unfamiliar with our previous work and the diamond ratio, the diamond ratio is 1.73. We have invented and created a table and mathematical formulae using just a computer that shows that you can identify and analyze all the objects in our solar system and even the entire Milky Way, or even the universe through sacred geometry.  This addition adds the potentiality of the possibility that all planets might have radii and diameters that are whole numbers. We have also made an attempt in this sequel to show some of the stars in our solar system. Another addition to this sequel is the distance of planets from the sun.

Double dating found in the VAT4956 to both 568 BCE and 511 BCE is now confirming the original dating for year 37 of Nebuchadnezzar in 511 BCE, which lowers the Neobabylonian period 57 years.  This corresponds to now lowering the Assyrian period 54 years by using the July 17, 709 BCE eclipse to date the Assyrian eponym instead of the June 15, 763 BCE eclipse.  The dating for Shishak's invasion, David and Solomon, and the Exodus per High Chronology vs. Low Chronology is compared in this paper.

In ancient Afrika, science, technology, engineering and mathematics were not seen as separate from or at odds with what is now referred to in English as the Humanities. Focusing on archeoastronomy of  Kmt ‘land of Black people (i.e. Ancient Egypt)’, we demonstrate that the scientific principles used to build pyramids, temples, and other edifices were rooted in and fused with Afrikan systems of deep thought and spirituality. The method adopted in this study examines alignments of structures of  Kmt ‘land of Black people’ with respect to solar and celestial phenomena in an attempt to establish systematic patterns and correlations between architectural alignments and astronomical phenomena. This method is adopted to show the relationship between structures constructed and knowledge of the oneness of humanities and sciences. Therefore, in this study, we find that the dichotomization and fragmentation of knowledge and disciplines should move towards a more holistic  Kmtyw ‘Black people, ...

At the great city of Tikal, the ancient Maya placed and oriented their ceremonial architecture and monuments in accordance with cosmological principles. Its earliest ceremonial plaza, the Mundo Perdido, is one of the oldest pre-Classic E-Groups of the Petén, the astronomical utility of which has been a topic of

This article aims to analyse the cohesive function of Latin alliteration in cases in which it serves as an element for linking together the hemistichs in the same line or hemistichs in adjacent lines. At an extra-versal level, three forms of alliterative cohesion are distinguished: 1) by enjambment (the words sounding the same at the start that belong to the same syntactical unit flow over the limits of the line); 2) by vertical correspondence (the words sounding the same at the start are placed in successive lines where they occupy the same metric position); 3) by concatenation at the end of each line and the beginning of the subsequent line (… X/X… X/X…, etc., or … X/X… Y/Y…, etc.). The alliterative cohesion by concatenation at the end of each line and the beginning of the subsequent line has been studied due to its systematic use in ancient Irish poetry, but not in Latin, where, as it is shown in this article, there is evidence of the phenomenon. The existence of this cohesive pr...

This article sets itself a goal to explore the early historical development of the traditional astrological sciences (jyotiṣaśāstra, jyotiṣavidyā) in India, tracing its relationship to the astrology developed in Mesopotamia and in the Hellenistic period by the Greeks, as well as discussing some of its amplifications in South Asia, and the direct intercourse between India and the Arabs. Some attention is paid to the transformation and re-interpretation of foreign astral and divinatory sciences in India. The primarily sources of the present study are the early Sanskrit texts (mainly those of Sphujidhvaja’s and Varāhamihira’s, and the study itself is grounded on the critical analysis of contemporary discussions carried on by D. Pingree, O. Neugebauer, P. V. Kane, A. M. Shastri, and others scholars in the field.

The history of classical astronomy tends to emphasise the development of mathematical astronomy and the origin of astronomical instrumentation. Religious and philosophical issues are generally dealt with separately. However, the practice of classical astronomy was conducted within a context in which the cosmos was permeated with soul, or psyche. This paper examines the work of Plato, Aristotle, and Zeno, and applies theory of "psychological astronomy" to the classical world, so as to provide a context and and understanding of the motive for the development of mathematical astronomy, concluding with the work of Claudius Ptolemy.

For centuries, the rich nocturnal environment of the starry sky could be modelled only by analogue tools such as paper planispheres, atlases, globes and numerical tables. The immersive sky simulator of the twentieth century, the optomechanical planetarium, provided new ways for representing and teaching about the sky, but the high construction and running costs meant that they have not become common. However, in recent decades, “desktop planetarium programs” running on personal computers have gained wide attention. Modern incarnations are immensely versatile tools, mostly targeted towards the community of amateur astronomers and for knowledge transfer in transdisciplinary research. Cultural astronomers also value the possibilities they give of simulating the skies of past times or other cultures. With this paper, we provide an extended presentation of the open-source project Stellarium, which in the last few years has been enriched with capabilities for cultural astronomy research n...

Article dedicated to the astronomical mystery of the Constellation of Sagittarius.
You can also read it in English using the online translator of your choice, at this address:

https://universalastronomicalunion.wordpress.com/2023/07/16/les-magnitudes-fantaisistes-de-lunion-astronomique-internationale-ou-le-mystere-du-sagittaire/

This paper describes and explains the synthesis of an astronomical clock mechanism which displays the mean position of the Sun, the Moon, the lunar node and zodiac circle as well as the Moon phases and their motion during the year as seen from the Earth. The clock face represents the stereographic projection of the celestial equator, celestial tropics, zodiac circle (ecliptic) and horizon for the latitude of Belgrade from the north celestial pole to the equator plane. The observed motions of celestial objects are realized by a set of clock gear trains with properly calculated gear ratios. The method of continued fraction is applied in the computation of proper and practically applicable gear ratios of the clock gear trains. The fully operational 3D model of the astronomical clock is created and the motion study of its operation is accomplished by using the SolidWorks 2016 application. The simulation results are compared with the ephemeris data and the detected differences are used t...

E Group assemblages, considered to be the earliest form of monumental architecture in the central Maya lowlands, were once thought to be “observatories” of the solstices and equinoxes. However, when the dates reported to be marked at the horizon by the axial alignments of 71 of E Groups in the central Maya lowlands (systematically documented by Šprajc 2021) are adjusted within applicable date error ranges, they define a horizon reference system that enabled precise tracking of time for all purposes. Patterns related to these astronomically and calendrically significant marked dates, especially those marked by the north and south lateral axes of the E Groups, establish the intentionality of this system, the fundamental reference poles for which are the zenith and nadir passages of the latitudinal band where the interval between the zenith passages is uniquely equal to 260 days, numerically equal to the pan-Mesoamerican divinatory calendar. During the transition between the Late Preclassic and Early Classic periods, axial alignments of E Groups were transferred to the architectural orientations of civic and ceremonial structures of other type as E Groups ceased to be constructed.

In Chapter III, Łukasiewicz turns his attention to the psychological formulation of the principle, which he discusses over the span of three chapters. He presents an analysis and elucidation of Aristotle’s account of the psychological version of the principle. Łukasiewicz argues that Aristotle considers the psychological PC as a consequence of the logical and ontological principles and that Aristotle presents an argument which aims to show that this is so.

We are delighted to invite you to an international conference on ancient science.

The conference will be held on July 19, Wednesday, between 9:00–18:00 at Tel Aviv University (Gilman 496) and will also be broadcast on Zoom.

The conference will deal with ancient science in four sessions: Egypt, Mesopotamia, Greece, and Judea.

We would be very happy if you could attend (and register through the link

in the attached invitation)

The goddess Venus, the Roman form of the Greek goddess Aphrodite, was one of the most important goddesses of Olympus, who moved to the Roman culture with everything related to her genesis, allocations, as well as her functions, The goddess Venus was known by a number of names, the most famous of which are: Venus felix, Venus generix, Venus cloacina, and Venus victrix. Perhaps in this study we are trying to shed light on one of these names to show its characteristics and functions, which is the title of Venus Verticordia.

This translation contains chapter eight of the Yoga Yātrā of Varāhamihira, a famous East Indian astrology text by Varahamihira (circa 6th century) dealing with military astrology. There are a total of 16 chapters for a total of 485 verses. The other chapters will be added as I complete them. My translation includes an outline of the major concepts for each chapter, a word for word translation from Sanskrit to English with parts of speech annotations.

I am not aware of any other Sanskrit to English translation of chapter seven of this text.

Chapter eight covers fire omens from the altar at a ritual done prior to a military expedition. 

I welcome any feedback. Thank you for your attention and support.

The main aim of this short article is to begin to reason about the profound changes that took place during the 17th century, especially concerning astronomy and the epistemological change regarding the interpretation and vision of the night sky, while taking antiquity into account. Likewise, I will attempt to highlight the dynamics of astronomers' lives in that period, reworking data and perspectives of the time.

The Antikythera Mechanism is many things to many people. For some, it’s a symbol of technological innovation, the very bedrock upon which our modern world is based. For others, it is a set of mechanical gears. There are those who venerate its historical significance, while others think it is just an interesting trinket from the past. Some even regard it a by-product of alien-human technological cooperation or, at very least, an object suitable for imaginative sci-fi narratives. Irrespective of the view, no one can doubt its fame or the fact that it has captured public attention. Many people, however, only have a vague understanding of what it is and what it could do. Certainly, the most common question I’m asked is: “When all is said and done, what exactly is the Antikythera Mechanism?” This is invariably followed by more specific questions about the way it worked, where and by whom it was designed and built, where it was found, and so forth. So, what have we learned after more than a century since it was discovered in the deep waters off a small remote island in southwest Greece? The main purpose of this book is to answer this question in a way that is accessible as possible to readers, be they teenage students or lofty rocket scientists. To do this, I share scientific facts about the Antikythera Mechanism using an alternative medium, the graphic narrative of comics. Drawings and sketches serve to create an engaging setting inspired by the places and actors involved in the story of discovery, while explaining the Mechanism’s complex features and the functions it performed. The combination of words and illustrations aims at providing an attractive, yet scientifically accurate, narrative about the magnificent story of this unique
archaeological artefact and its context.

This paper endeavors to determine the proper date of P. Alex. inv. 622, page 28,
a papyrus from the holding of Alexandria’s Greco-Roman Museum. In “Catalogue
des Monuments exposés au Musée Gréco-Romain d’Alexandrie” (1901) it was
registered as a papyrus from the Byzantine period. In the publication of 1964 it was
undated, and in online databases it is dated differently. As a result, this document
has not properly been taken into account in scholarly research.