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The Astronomy of Aboriginal Australia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 June 2011

Ray P. Norris  and
Duane W. Hamacher
Ray P. Norris
Affiliation:
CSIRO Australia Telescope National Facility PO Box 76, Epping, NSW, 1710, Australia email: [email protected] Dept. of Indigenous Studies, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia email: [email protected]
Duane W. Hamacher
Affiliation:
Dept. of Indigenous Studies, Macquarie University, North Ryde, NSW 2109, Australia email: [email protected]
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Abstract

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The traditional cultures of Aboriginal Australians include a significant astronomical component, which is usually reported in terms of songs or stories associated with stars and constellations. Here we argue that the astronomical components extend further, and include a search for meaning in the sky, beyond simply mirroring the earth-bound understanding. In particular, we have found that traditional Aboriginal cultures include a deep understanding of the motion of objects in the sky, and that this knowledge was used for practical purposes such as constructing calendars. We also present evidence that traditional Aboriginal Australians made careful records and measurements of cyclical phenomena, and paid careful attention to unexpected phenomena such as eclipses and meteorite impacts.

Keywords

AustraliaAboriginalarchaeoastronomyethnoastronomyhistory of meteoritics
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 5 , Symposium S260: The Role of Astronomy in Society and Culture , January 2009 , pp. 39 - 47
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2011

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