4.5
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1,283 ratings

Giulio Magli

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Archaeoastronomy

Politecnico di Milano

About this Course

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Archaeoastronomy is the “science of stars and stones”.  It is an interdisciplinary science in between architecture, archaeology, and astronomy. It studies the relationships between the ancient monuments and the sky, in order to gain a better understanding of the ideas of the architects of the past and of their religious and symbolic world. The course provides the first complete, easy introduction to this fascinating discipline.
During the course, many spectacular ancient sites of archaeology – such as Stonehenge in England, Giza and Karnak in Egypt, Chichen Itzá in the Yucatan, Macchu Picchu in Peru and the Pantheon in Rome – will be visited and the fascinating events occurring there in special days of the year (such as solstices, equinoxes, or the day of the foundation of Rome) will be shown and explained. The course also provides the necessary background on Astronomy with the naked eye and a general introduction to the role of Astronomy in religion and in the management of power among ancient cultures.

Flexible deadlines

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Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

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Beginner Level

Approx. 7 hours to complete

English

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Flexible deadlines

Reset deadlines in accordance to your schedule.

Shareable Certificate

Earn a Certificate upon completion

100% online

Start instantly and learn at your own schedule.

Beginner Level

Approx. 7 hours to complete

English

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Instructor

Instructor rating

4.58/5 (357 Ratings)

Giulio Magli

Offered by

Politecnico di Milano

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Syllabus - What you will learn from this course

Content Rating98%(5,928 ratings)

Week1

Week 1

1 hour to complete

Week 1

1 hour to complete

5 videos (Total 25 min), 1 reading, 1 quiz

Week2

Week 2

1 hour to complete

Week 2

1 hour to complete

4 videos (Total 24 min)

Week3

Week 3

1 hour to complete

Week 3

1 hour to complete

5 videos (Total 30 min)

Week4

Week 4

1 hour to complete

Week 4

1 hour to complete

4 videos (Total 28 min)

Week5

Week 5

24 minutes to complete

Week 5

24 minutes to complete

4 videos (Total 24 min)

Week6

Week 6

1 hour to complete

Week 6

1 hour to complete

3 videos (Total 19 min)

Week7

Week 7

3 hours to complete

Astronomy insights

Archaeoastronomy is not only "speaking about the Sun and the other stars". Interest in the cumbersome, apparent motion of the Moon and in the alternating behaviour of Venus as morning star/evening star is also present in ancient architecture, for instance in the Americas. This section provides the tools needed to investigate in such cases, as well as insights on the physical effects affecting measures in Archaeoastronomy.

3 hours to complete

1 video (Total 6 min), 18 readings, 1 quiz

1 video

Conclusions and perspectives5m

18 readings

Lunar phases10mThe eclipses10mThe change in the rising and setting points of the Moon10mThe Moon in Archaeoastronomy10mBibliography10mThe planets visible with the naked eye10mThe Motion of Venus10mVenus in Archaeoastronomy10mBibliography10mThe Earth's atmosphere10mExtincion and Thom's law10mRefraction and parallax10mVisual alignments10mThe horizon formula10mGraphical tools10mHandling archaeoastronomical data10mThe use of Probability in Archaeoastronomy10mBibliography10m

1 practice exercise

Astronomy insight15m

Reviews

4.5

400 reviews

5 stars
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4 stars
26.51%
3 stars
6.76%
2 stars
1.47%
1 star
0.38%

TOP REVIEWS FROM ARCHAEOASTRONOMY

by BHJun 13, 2017

Helpful in achieving a good basic understanding of the technical aspects of astronomy and as a good general introduction to the study of archaeoastronomy. Clearly presented and well illustrated.

by MKApr 23, 2021

It's a wonderful experience to learn this course from this university . Great information and Knowledge i have gained from this ! thank you coursera politecco di milano . :)

by DENov 9, 2017

It was a very interesting course, and had addressed the subject matter in an organized manner. It was challenging at times, but maintained my interest throughout the course.

by KMNov 16, 2018

This course has lots of good information with an interesting instructor. The integration of visual images and stories with the astronomy and archaeology data is well done.

View all reviews

Frequently Asked Questions

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The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
What will I get if I purchase the Certificate?
When you purchase a Certificate you get access to all course materials, including graded assignments. Upon completing the course, your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
Is financial aid available?
Yes. In select learning programs, you can apply for financial aid or a scholarship if you can’t afford the enrollment fee. If fin aid or scholarship is available for your learning program selection, you’ll find a link to apply on the description page.

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Archaeoastronomy

Archaeoastronomy

About this Course