Cultural Astronomy in Armenia: from Ancient Times to Nowadays

Armenia is rich of Astronomical Heritage. Its roots come from ancient times, at least 5 thousand years ago, starting with the ancient calendars (ex. one having the beginning in 2492 B.C.), rock art (petroglyphs), the first naming of constellations, ancient observatories (ex. Karahunge, a Stonehenge-like structure), then followed by records of astronomical events by ancient Armenians (comets, Crab Supernova 1054), medieval great thinker Anania Shirakatsi’s (612-685 A.D.) astronomical heritage, medieval sky maps from XVII and XVIII centuries, medieval astronomical instruments (astrolabes), etc. Numerous signs of astronomical knowledge can be found in the Armenian literature, both folk stories and classical literature: our ancient manuscripts (mostly on calendars and Zodiac/Horoscopes), National Epos “Daredevils of Sassoun” (a UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2012), novels, tales and poems. The Byurakan Astrophysical Observatory (BAO, founded in 1946) itself is astronomical cultural heritage (included in the IAU Outstanding Astronomical Heritage (OAH) in 2021) and serving as Armenian National Value since 2013. It has a unique national-style architectural ensemble, a nice garden recognized as arboretum and its photographic plate archive is also an astronomical heritage. Moreover, the famous Markarian Survey 1874 spectroscopic plates having 40 million low-dispersion spectra have been included in UNESCO “Memory of the World” documentary heritage international register in 2011. Among the recent or modern signs of Astronomy in Culture one can mention numerous paintings by Armenian famous artists containing sky and celestial objects, Astrosymbolism, Astroheraldry, etc. Armenia is very active in organization of meetings and schools for young scientists related to astronomical heritage: UNESCO Regional Conference “Astronomical Heritage of the Middle East” in 2017, Young Scientists Conference in 2016, summer schools and Byurakan Science Camps related lectures, etc. We will give a review of all these astronomical cultural heritage items.

Speakers
Gayane BaleyanAreg Mickaelian

Schedule Speaker List

INSAP 2024

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