Astronomy of the Ancients

By Kenneth Brecher, Michael Feirtag,

Book cover of Astronomy of the Ancients

Book description

The eight articles and dozens of photographs and drawings in this book introduce the reader to the ancient astronomers―their observatories, their instruments, and their explorations of the awesome regularities (and shocking irregularities) that appear in the sky. The authors draw upon a wide range of disciplines―history, archaeology, technology, even mythology…

Shepherd is reader supported.
We may earn an affiliate commission when you buy through links on our website. This is how we fund the project for readers and authors along with our membership program.

Why read it?

1 author picked Astronomy of the Ancients as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Among the several fine essays here, Harald Reiche's "The Language of Archaic Astronomy: a Clue to the Atlantis Myth?" is a bonus treat. Reiche introduces the technological language of ancient mythology – the "tech talk of our ancestors" – and explains how "stories," recounted in the language of myth, track the "damage" to the heavens caused by the Precession of the Equinoxes. This easy-reading collection is a great aid for those with little inclination to study the heavens through light-polluted skies, or to plunge into the troublesome field of comparative mythology. 

Want books like Astronomy of the Ancients?

Our community of 8,000+ authors has personally recommended 10 books like Astronomy of the Ancients.

Browse books like Astronomy of the Ancients

5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in Atlantis, ancient Egypt, and myth?

8,000+ authors have recommended their favorite books and what they love about them. Browse their picks for the best books about Atlantis, ancient Egypt, and myth.

Atlantis Explore 12 books about Atlantis
Ancient Egypt Explore 94 books about ancient Egypt
Myth Explore 65 books about myth