Program Overview

Program Overview

The Archaeoastronomy course is a 5-week MOOC provided by Politecnico di Milano, exploring the relationships between ancient monuments and the sky. The course aims to introduce students to the fascinating discipline of archaeoastronomy, studying the ideas of ancient architects and their religious and symbolic world.

Course Description

The course provides a complete introduction to archaeoastronomy, covering topics such as astronomy with the naked eye, the role of astronomy in religion and power, and the study of ancient sites like Stonehenge, Giza, and Machu Picchu. The course also includes an introduction to astronomy and its application in understanding ancient cultures.

Learning Outcomes

By actively participating in this MOOC, students will be able to:

• Recognize and describe major astronomical phenomena
• Illustrate the knowledge the ancients had of the sky and the instruments they used to observe it
• Illustrate the connections between astronomical knowledge, religion, and monuments in different ancient cultures
• Describe the main phenomena observable in some famous ancient buildings

Prerequisites

No prerequisite knowledge is required to enroll in this course.

Course Structure

The course consists of 5 weeks, with the following topics:

• Week 0: Introduction to the course
• Week 1: Astronomy with the naked eye: how the ancients saw the sky
• Week 2: Astronomy, power and architecture
• Week 3: Ancient Egypt
• Week 4: The Pre-Columbian world
• Week 5: Archaeoastronomy in Asia
• Additional sections: Conclusions and perspectives, Suggested readings, and Additional resources

Assessment

The final grade for the course will be based on the results of assessed quizzes. Students will have an unlimited number of attempts at each quiz and must score a total of 60% (or higher) to successfully complete the course.

Certificate

Students can achieve a certificate in the form of an Open Badge by obtaining at least 60% of the total score in the graded quizzes and filling in the final survey.

Faculty

The course is taught by Giulio Magli, a Physicist and Full Professor at Politecnico di Milano, with expertise in archaeoastronomy and relativistic astrophysics.

Fees and Access

The course is completely online and free of charge, with no fees or costs associated with enrollment or access to materials.