The African Cultural Astronomy Project: The Hidden Treasure
Abstract
Indigenous, endogenous, traditional, or cultural astronomy focuses on the many ways that people and cultures interact with celestial bodies. African cultural astronomy is an inter-disciplinary field with intersections in the fields of anthropology, history, religion, African studies, science studies, art, folklore, mathematics and astronomy. Like ancient people everywhere, Africans wondered at the sky and struggled to make sense of it. Africa is home to many long-standing cultural traditions that include beliefs, practices, and observations relating to the sky. The African Cultural Astronomy Project seeks to unearth the body of traditional knowledge of astronomy by peoples of the different ethnic groups of Africa and use it to create awareness and interest in modern astronomy by providing scientific interpretation to such cosmogonies and ancient astronomical practices.
- Publication:
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AFAS2 2021: Conference of the African Astronomical Society
- Pub Date:
- March 2021
- Bibcode:
- 2021afas.confE..81U