Ancient Astronomers, Anthony Aveni
The Fabric of the Heavens, Toulmin and Goodfield

The Aveni book is at the Co-Op. The Toulmin book is out of print. You must purchase photocopies of it at Ginny's, 2401 Rio Grande.

This course fulfills an upper division writing requirement with three writing assignments totaling some 16-18 pages. The largest of the writing assignments will be a term paper of at least 10 pages. The topic of the first writing assignment will be given to you and handed out on the first day of class. For the second and third papers, you will choose your own topic.

The first third (approximately) of the class will begin with a summary of the capabilities of the eye as an astronomical instrument, and then examine how various cultures from ancient times forward have studied the sky and how they have conceptualized the "heavens" and the celestial sphere in ways often quite different from the approach of modern science. We will see that there have been historically many different ways of studying nature.

We will successively examine Stonehenge, Egypt, Asia, Africa, Mesoamerica, North America, the Andean cultures, and Oceania.

We will then take up Babylonian, Greek, and Islamic astronomy and examine the historical track followed by western science from the Dark Ages through the Renaissance -- a legacy that fathered modern science as we know it today. Finally, we will examine selected aspects of the frontiers of modern 20th century science that represent its highest achievements; in particular, quantum mechanics and relativity.

Finally, we will ask -- where do we go from here? Since this class is not a prerequisite for any other course, we have the freedom to ask questions and carry out discussions in any area of interest. It is not just a listen-and-memorize-hour.

The following assignments and tests will determine your final grade (100 points total. After spring vacation, the dates may vary somewhat, depending upon our progress.)

Paper 1 (2 pages)	Due	Tuesday, 27 January	10 points
Paper 2 (2-3 pages)	Due	Tuesday, 22 February	15 points
Title and Brief Outline of Term Paper	Due	after spring vacation
Midterm Exam	Due	Thursday, 9 April	35 points
Two Homework Assignments	Due	21 April, 5 May	10 points
Term Paper	Due	7 May	30 points

There is no final exam -- May 7 = last day of class

All papers must be typed (so that I can read them) and double-spaced, so that there is room for me to make comments. Handwritten papers are not acceptable. Late papers will be penalized 10 percent per class meeting -- e.g., if a paper counts 10 points and is handed in two classes late (a week), it can grade at most 8 points. Further details about paper formatting and grading guidelines will be given in class.

The first paper will give me a sample of your writing. The second gives you an opportunity to explore an area of interest to you. The third paper allows you to research more deeply into a topic of your choice. The first and second papers must earn a grade of C or be rewritten. For the term paper, there is not enough time to be able to make use of rewriting.

Class begins Tuesday, 20 January. The last day to drop without a possible academic penalty is Monday, 16 February. You may drop between 16 February and Monday, 30 March if you are working at a C level (University Regulations). After March 30, you can drop only for non-academic emergencies, and the drop decision is made by the Student Dean of your college. Up until March 30, you can change your registration from graded to pass-fail, or vice versa. Note, however, that a pass-fail registration does not satisfy the B.A. Plan I science requirement. You would receive three units of elective credit.