Stairways to the Stars: Skywatching in Three Great Ancient Cultures

By Anthony F. Aveni

Book Overview

For many ancient societies, the movements of the sun, moon, stars, and planets constituted an elaborate language, expressing the intentions of the spiritual forces they believed ruled the world. With little or no technology, these ancient cultures made remarkably detailed astronomical observations and developed intricate belief systems around them. Join critically acclaimed author Anthony Aveni, one of the founding fathers of the study of ancient astronomy, as he explores its purpose and uncovers surprising new revelations about three of the most popular and mysterious clues to its interpretation. What was the meaning of Stonehenge? What was the Mayan Code? Why was the elaborate Incan city of Cuzco built? A timeless, towering enigma, Stonehenge has mesmerized people for centuries. As Aveni takes us on a tour around the legendary structure, he describes how it was constructed in multiple stages over thousands of years, and critiques the many theories posited to explain its form and function. Through his eyes, Stonehenge comes alive as a meeting place, an observatory, a calendar, and a sacred temple. In the rain forests of Central America, the great Mayan civilization advanced the study of ancient astronomy through a sophisticated system of mathematics designed to calculate celestial movements. Here, the revered king Netzahualpilli would ascend to the roof of his palace to converse with the stars on matters of state. The Mayan codices speak of Kukulcan, the feathered-serpent deity who represented Venus, and whose presence permeated Mayan society, and influenced methods of agriculture, warfare, and rituals of human sacrifice. So powerful was the influence of Venus among the Mayans that the architecture and designs of buildings and monuments were skewed to focus attention on its wanderings. The prominent role of astronomy in ancient cultures reached its zenith, perhaps, with the mighty Inca Empire in western South America. The Incas incorporated their knowledge of the sky into the very plan of their capital city of Cuzco. Aveni details the astounding ceque system of city planning that was based on astronomical observations and unified Inca ideas about celestial events, religion, social organization, time-keeping, and agriculture. Taking readers on a stimulating journey through time and space, Stairways to the Stars is science writing at its very best, deftly linking past and present, while deepening our understanding of our ancestors and how they lived, as well as our sense of our own humanity. On Behind the Crystal Ball: "A vastly entertaining inquiry into the roots of magic and science . . . with unflagging wit and a sharp critical eye." - Evan Hadingham Coexecutive Producer, Discovery Magazine On Empires of Time: "One of the best books on a scientific theme for the serious general reader that I have read for some time." - John Barrow, author of Pi in the Sky "The author is obviously in command of his material. . . . His exploration of the mysteries of time provides an eminently stimulating read." - Nature On Conversing with the Planets: "A popular synthesis of the ancient search for celestial order." - Scientific American "In this intriguing work, Anthony Aveni writes with a mastery and polish that is wonderfully accessible, akin to an engaging classroom lecture." - The New York Times Book Review

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471159425
• ISBN13: 9780471159421
• Release Date: April 1997
• Publisher: Wiley
• Length: 240 Pages
• Weight: 0.05 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.4" x 9.6"

Customer Reviews

worthwhile, a little complex in places

I came to the book as a part of a quick study on the origins of the 7 day week with particular regards to the Sabbath and the questions i have surrounding it. I like the author's style of writing, comprehensiveness and scientific mindset, so much that i started his Empires of Time this morning. I think i read these two books in the wrong order, i'd recommend reading empires first and then this book. there are a few places that background information would have made stairways a bit easier to understand and perhaps flow a bit smoother. I appreciate the author's expertise and ability to made difficult ideas understandable while at the same time explain what went into his thinking so that i can recapitulate from his data and perhaps understand his reasoning from the inside out. it is a field a bit confused by sloppy thinking and bad pseudoscience like astrology and numerology and i really appreciate his desire to present the best science and not speculate further than the data extends, a refreshing feeling after scanning lots of trash while getting the basic info for my study. he must be an excellent teacher.

A new look at the stars

One of my earliest memories is of lying on my back in the snow, just looking up at the stars. I've long since lost the ability to look at stars through the eyes of a child, but Anthony Aveni's book, Stairways to the Stars, has given me a whole new way of looking at them. For ancient cultures, the night sky was an ever-present companion. They used it as both calendar and augur, to track and predict the seasons, foretell the future, and understand the present. But the night sky we see is strongly dependent on where we live. The stars and stellar events (such as eclipses) that we see change, depending on where we see them from. In a society based on the sky, how much of the sky you can see (and what's in it) becomes critical. So what the Mayans chose to focus on will be different from what the Celts considered important. And that may have had far-reaching effects on their society. From charts of the planet Mars in ancient Mayan codexes to the role of Stonehenge as an observatory, watching the skies left lasting, tangible effects on societies. It's an interesting, thoughtful book. I enjoyed it, even though it's not an overwhelmingly easy read. Certainly there are times when it feels like a textbook (and the section of exercises at the end certainly doesn't hurt that sense). If you're a beginning stargazer, I'd suggest something a bit more straightforward. But if you've been looking up at the night sky for years ... or if you're interested in ancient societies, I think you'll probably find this book well worth your time. For more reviews, check out my web page at exn.ca/printedmatter