Presentation Transcript
The Mursi Lunar Calendar: The Mursi Lunar Calendar A geographically isolated tribe in southwest Ethiopia (population ~10,000).
Every year, they migrate between riverbank and forest with the seasons. To plan their planting and harvesting, they follow a 13-month calendar (lunar calendar; no link to seasons).
To keep calendar synchronized with seasons, the current month (bergu) is decided on by observations of seasonal change (bird migration, blooming of flowers, etc).
The Mursi Solar Calendar: The Mursi Solar Calendar The timing of the annual planting migration to the riverbank after flooding is crucial to ensure a successful harvest.
Mursi lunar calendar too approximate to determine flooding season, so they use the annual setting at sunset of stars in and near the Southern Cross constellation (solar calendar; linked to seasons).
Mursi believe: stars melt as they set with the Sun, causing flooding on Earth. Aug 15 Aug 26 Sep 15 Sep 25 TIME
The Barasana: The Barasana A tribe of ~300 in the Columbian Amazon.
Due to their equatorial latitude, the Barasana view of the sky is symmetric:
NCP on the north horizon, SCP on the south horizon.
Zenith-crossings and anti-zenith-crossings occur on the equinoxes (1/2 a year apart).
Thus, the Barasana believe that they live at the centre of the world. Night sky panorama from the mid-southern hemisphere N S Night sky panorama from the Equator W
The Zodiac Calendar: The Zodiac Calendar
The Barasana Calendar: The Barasana Calendar Calendar is defined by rising/setting appearances of Milky Way constellations.
Constellations believed responsible for acts of nature during a constellation’s appearance.
E.g. rising of Caterpillar-Jaguar coincides with season of caterpillar breeding. Caterpillar-Jaguar 1st constellation of the yr: Pleiades Star Cluster ("Star Thing")
The Pleiades Star Cluster: The Pleiades Star Cluster Venus Pleiades
Misminay, Peru (Sacred Valley of the Incas): Misminay, Peru (Sacred Valley of the Incas) Small village of ~50 families, ancestors of the Inca.
Every night, when Milky Way is directly overhead, it is perpendicular to the Vilcanota River.
This view of the "celestial river" at right angles to the terrestrial river is reflected in the construction of their irrigation system. Milky Way
A Hopi Horizon Calendar: A Hopi Horizon Calendar The Hopi tribe in Arizona use a calendar defined by the appearance of the rising sun at mountain landmarks. Dec 10: Winter Solstice ceremony begins in 4 days, ends Dec 21 (obvious landmark) Dec 21: Winter Solstice (no obvious landmark)