Indigenous Astronomy

Indigenous cultures of the world have long developed complex knowledge systems focused on the Sun, Moon, and stars. Elders teach that "everything on the land is reflected in the sky", with the stars serving as a map, calendar, timepiece, and mnemonic memory aide that inform Law and social structure. These knowledge systems are wholistic and multi-layered, including cultural understandings of science and applications of scientific practice that have been passed down through oral tradition for millennia. This subject will introduce students to the discipline of Cultural Astronomy, focusing on the astronomical knowledge and traditions of contemporary Indigenous cultures around the world, with an emphasis on Australia.