What Did Ancient Civilizations Discover About the Universe Before 3000 BC?

[dansydney]

Gday, I'm currently doing a major yr 11 assignment on cosmology for physics. One of the questions in this assignment was about the historical developments of various models of the universe over time. I've mentioned the geocentric and heliocentric models but the question also asks about the ancients. It says what did the acients work out about the universe (prior to around 3000BC). Everything I have found about this period has basically said 'they looked at the stars' with no real explantions of what they discovered. I was wondering if anyone here would have any knowledge of the subject, if so it would be greatly appreciated. Cheers

 

[chroot]

Everything you've found about the period? Have you gone to a library, or are you just doing internet searches?

Here's a handout I used for an astronomy class I used to teach:

http://users.vnet.net/warrenc/astro/cosmology.pdf

- Warren

 

[dansydney]

Ive been to the local library although they do not have many books related to physics and cosmology. Internet searches mostly come back with Aristotle and Ptolemy. I've written about them but the most ancient I can find is from around 300BC not 3000BC.

 

[chroot]

Ack, I figured 3000 BC was a typo. You are correct that very little is known about the people who lived over 5,000 years ago. There are no written records of any sort (and probably no recognizable languages!), nor are there any widely-known astronomical buildings. Personally, I don't know anything about cosmological ideas prior to the ancient Greeks and Romans. When you used the word "ancient," I thought you meant the ancient Greeks and Romans. But you mean... really ancient!

- Warren

 

[chroot]

Wikipedia may not be considered a "reliable source," but the following articles are probably great places to get keywords to look for more references:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_astronomy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Archaeoastronomy

- Warren

 

[dansydney]

Thanks. I have a feeling my teacher may have made a typo because of the little amount of knowledge available on the subject.

 

[tony873004]

How about Stonehenge. Also, the pyramids. Some feel that their positions and alignments were arranged with the stars.

You could talk about how the constellations have changed in the last 5000 years. Although you may not find anything about observations from the period, it is interesting that people back then looked at a sky that would only be vaguely recognizable to us.