Astronomy and the Cultural Heritage

Abstract

In the entire world there are proofs of astronomical culture, from the famous Stonehenge or Camac, up to tapestries (Bayeux), heraldic symbols, sundials, old observatories or manuscripts. All of them preserve in stone, wood, ceramics, metal or paper the knowledge gathered throughout the centuries concerning the sky, the cosmos. They are spread all over the world. Sometimes they are well catalogued, researched or preserved. Nevertheless, very often they are very little known and very badly preserved, sometimes about to disappear. You want to find out where there is a sundial from a certain epoch and you do not know how. You want to know when some phenomena were recorded for the first time and researches to this effect are difficult. You want to support the restoration of a sanctuary, also used for astronomical purposes, and you do not have enough proofs to motivate the sometimes very high expenses required by such an operation. A data bank in which all this information should be gathered, an electronic library of international size, would be the exact thing to facilitate research, to support the conservation of the art, science and history monuments, which together make up the thesaurus of civilization on this planet. This is shortly the reason why a new working group "The Archaeoastronomical Heritage" (http://www.archeoastronomy.org/) was set up. Everyone interested in identifying and preserving this rich heritage is invited to contribute to its activity.