Archaeoastronomy: the science of stars and stones from Angkor to Borobodur.

Archaeoastronomy: the science of stars and stones from Angkor to Borobodur.

Conference by Prof. Giulio Magli Dean, Dept. of Mathematics, Politecnico di Milano

Archaeoastronomy is the “science of stars and stones”. It studies the relationships of ancient monuments with the astronomical phenomena, in close contact and interaction with the archaeological and historical data.
If used with due caution, this discipline can provide important insights about the symbolic meaning
of these monuments and about the religious ideas of their builders. The seminar will introduce the basic concepts of scientific Archaeoastronomy and concentrate on its recent
application to monuments in Cambodia and Indonesia. In particular, two Buddhist temples
which are true masterpieces of ancient architecture will be analized: the Bayon at Angkor and
Borobodur on the Java island.