Archaeo-Astronomy in Society: Supporting Citizenship in Schools Across Europe

TL;DR

This paper explores how archaeo-astronomy, through the study of ancient sites like Stonehenge, can enhance citizenship education by promoting cultural understanding, tolerance, and international collaboration among students across Europe.

Contribution

It demonstrates the potential of archaeo-astronomy to support citizenship education by linking ancient sites to cultural diversity and societal development in schools.

Findings

Archaeo-astronomy can be integrated into science curricula across Europe.

Studying ancient sites promotes tolerance and cultural understanding.

The distribution of sites supports international networking and global citizenship.

Abstract

The interdisciplinary topic of archaeo-astronomy links science subjects such as astronomy with archaeology and sociology to explore how ancient societies perceived the heavens above. This is achieved by analysing ancient sites such as megalithic monuments (e.g. Stonehenge), since they are the most common remains of these societies and are wide spread in Europe. We discuss how archaeo-astronomy and ancient sites can be transversal to many topics in school. The links to the science curricula in different countries are highlighted. However, especially the subject of citizenship can be supported by exploring the diversity of culture, ideas, and identities including the changing nature of society in the past millennia. We conclude that archaeo-astronomy offers many opportunities for citizenship. Learning more about megalithic monuments in different countries (e.g. England, Portugal, and Germany) supports tolerance and understanding. Furthermore, the distribution of these sites lends itself to explore beyond borders, introduce international networking, and truly develop students into global citizens.