The cultures of archaeoastronomy and the history of science†

This essay draws on the skeptical opinions that some historians of science have of archaeoastronomy, on historians' changing interpretations of proper historical method, and on their varied understandings of the nature of science to discuss how these methodological issues apply to archaeoastronomy. The essay argues that archaeoastronomical research should bear as much attention to the external context of early astronomies as it does to their internal content, suggesting specifically that insights into the origins of science can be gained by paying greater attention to the practitioners of early astronomies - to the skywatchers.