LS6: Archaeo-astronomy in anInternational Context

Original organiser: Naseer Iqbal, University of Kashmir, Department ofOriginal organiser: Naseer Iqbal, University of Kashmir, Department ofPhysics, Srinagar, India.Physics, Srinagar, India.

Chair: Tomaž Zwitter, University Of Ljubljana, Faculty Of MathematicsChair: Tomaž Zwitter, University Of Ljubljana, Faculty Of MathematicsAnd Physics, Ljubljana, SloveniaAnd Physics, Ljubljana, Slovenia

12:00 – 12:2012:00 – 12:20 The representation of astronomical cycles andThe representation of astronomical cycles andcalendars in Irish megalithic art: calendars in Irish megalithic art: Marc Türler - Swiss Academy of Marc Türler - Swiss Academy ofSciences, Bern, SwitzerlandSciences, Bern, Switzerland

12:20 – 12:40 12:20 – 12:40 The oldest astronomical observatories at the territory ofThe oldest astronomical observatories at the territory ofthe modern Ukraine:the modern Ukraine: Irina Vavilova - Main Astronomical Observatory, Irina Vavilova - Main Astronomical Observatory,National Academy of Sciences Of Ukraine, Kyiv, UkraineNational Academy of Sciences Of Ukraine, Kyiv, Ukraine

12:40 – 13:1012:40 – 13:10 Open discussion:Open discussion: Tomaž Zwitter Tomaž Zwitter

Definition of the field

Traditionally one may follow alternative approaches:

● Rely on statistics and measurement, largely ignoringthe cultural context.

● Ethnographic and historical evidence, not so much onmeasurements & statistical analysis.

BUT:

● Is definition fundamental, cf. definition of life?

● Still it is clear all claims should be well justified.

Journals

● Journal for the History of Astronomy, IF(2017) = 0.311.49/62 in the history & philosophy of science category.

● Antropological Notebooks, IF(2017) = 0.289.79/85 in the field of anthropology.

● Journals without IF:● Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage,● Culture & Cosmos,● Mediterranean Archaeology and Archaeometry.

Papers in ADS with the keyword:„History and philosophy of astronomy“

∑ 362 refereed papers with 857 clean citations

● Is RX J1713.7-3946 the remnant of the AD393 guest star? Wang, Qu, and Chen, 1997,A&A, 318, L59, cited: 80

● The Maunder minimum (1645-1715) was indeed a grand minimum: A reassessment ofmultiple datasets. Usoskin, Arlt and Asvestari, 2015, A&A, 581, A95, cited: 64

● The Masses of Spherical Galaxies M32. A likely application. Poveda, 1958, Boletin de losObservatorios de Tonantzintla y Tacubaya, 2, 3, cited: 50

● The evolution of the Mira variable R Hydrae. Zijlstra, Bedding, and Mattei, 2002, MNRAS,334, 498, cited: 41

● Fermi's Paradox - The Last Challenge For Copernicanism? Cirkovic, 2009, SerbianAstronomical Journal, 178, 1, cited: 33

● The Temporal Aspect of the Drake Equation and SETI. Cirkovic, 2004, Astrobiology, 4,225-231, cited: 29

● Did the Ancient Egyptians Record the Period of the Eclipsing Binary Algol - The RagingOne? Jetsu et al. 2013, ApJ, 773, 1, cited: 28

● The 1920 Shapley-Curtis Discussion: Background, Issues, and Aftermath. Trimble, 1995,PASP, 107, 1133, cited: 23

● East Asian observations of low-latitude aurora during the Carrington magnetic storm. Hayakawa, et al. 2016, PASJ, 68, 99, cited: 21

● The sunspot observations by Samuel Heinrich Schwabe. Arlt, 2011, AN, 332, 805, cited:21

● The Fine-Tuning of the Universe for Intelligent Life. Barnes,2012, PASA, 29, 529, cited:20

● Solar activity around AD 775 from aurorae and radiocarbon. Neuhauser and Nauhauserm2015, AN, 336, 225, cited: 19

ADS: Most cited papers with the keyword =„History and philosophy of astronomy“

Apart from journal articles there areat least two authoritative books:

Cambridge University Press: 159articles, but many on outreach.

Springer: 3 volumes and> 200 articles.

Disciplines need to collaborate

Where to go?

● History of astronomy, also quite recent?

● Role of leaders: e.g. Cecilia Payne Gaposchkin?

● Sky is everywhere: anthology over cultures and times.

● Astronomy in the World Heritage Initiative.

● Ancient sky (Gaia & LSST for Solar system).

● Modern Lidar measurements + AI to study alignments.

● Earth in the past: research and outreach on datingtechniques, tides, rotation rate, climate (and the currentclimate crisis from an astronomical perspective).

● + ?