Archaeoastronomy will never be a household word, even if you can spell it.
But Anthony Aveni’s Stairways to the Stars will hook you into an enthralling
subject, the amazingly sophisticated knowledge of astronomy possessed by ancient
civilisations. He concentrates on the Mayans and Incas of South America and on
the builders of Stonehenge, which he considers a wonder of the world. In every
case, discoveries about the ancients’ knowledge and methods of astronomy are
recent. They put our own astronomy into a somewhat more rational perspective.
Admirably illustrated and written. Published by Wiley,
£16.99/$24.95, ISBN 0304349984.
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