Cartography, History of

Delano‐Smith, Catherine; Kain, R.J.P.

doi:10.1016/b978-008044910-4.00038-9

Cited by 2 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 6 publications

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“…Schutte (1920) claimed to have recognized Ursa Major, Cancer, Little Dog, Bull, Pegasus, Capricorn and the Milky Way. However, he also admit that the relationship between the groups of constellations is not as correct as it should be and the suggestion remains controversial (Delano Smith 1987). Actual sky maps came much later.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…For instance, Orion, the Big Dipper, the Pleiades, and the Southern Cross are widely recognized across different cultures following a universal perceptual principle rather than a cultural one (Bucur 2022; Kemp et al 2022). Observations of the rising and setting of striking stellar asterisms were one of the earliest means of regulating the season variations in ancient societies (Murray 2015), and iconographic elements referring to the cyclic movements of celestial objects are known at least since the late 3rd millennium BCE (Delano Smith 1987).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Possible stellar asterisms carved on a protohistoric stone

Molaro,

Bernardini

2023

Astron Nachr

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Chisel marks on a stone uncovered in Rupinpiccolo protohistoric hill fort from north‐eastern Italy were suggested to be a representation of the night sky (Bernardini et al. 2022 Documenta Praehistorica XLIX). The patterns of the 29 marks are analyzed here to establish if they reproduce popular stellar asterisms. Nine marks are found to match the Tail of Scorpius and five the Orion's Belt, together with Rigel and Betelgeuse. Nine marks are found in the approximate position of the Pleiades showing some match with the cluster members. On the back side, 5 marks possibly reproduce Cassiopeia. One mark slightly North of Orion cannot be identified. The 28 marks show a Pearson correlation coefficient (28) with stellar positions higher than 0.99 with a probability of a wrong correlation lower than 0.001. Departures are about one degree, or about 7 mm, as the mean diameter of the marks, which suggests a manufacturing limitation in the charting. The fort dates 1800–400 BCE when Scorpius and Orion showed about the same orientation at the heliacal rising. The unidentified mark challenges the whole picture. We suggest it could have been the progenitor of a failed supernova, thus offering also the possibility of a verification.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%