2017

Second Thematic Study on astronomical heritage

A second ICOMOS–IAU Thematic Study on the Heritage Sites of Astronomy and Archaeoastronomy was published in June 2017 in e-book form (see the TS2 contents page to download) and in November 2017 as a paperback,which can be purchased from Oxbow Books/Casemate Academic.

The case studies in TS2 include seven-stone antas (prehistoric dolmens) in Portugal and Spain, the thirteen towers of Chankillo in Peru, the astronomical timing of irrigation in Oman, Pic du Midi de Bigorre Observatory in France, Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan, and Aoraki–Mackenzie International Dark Sky Reserve in New Zealand. A case study on Stonehenge, already a World Heritage Site, focuses on preserving the integrity of the solstitial sightlines. A thematic chapter and several case studies address the issue of recognising dark sky values in relation to the broader cultural or natural values of a place. See here for more details.