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International Council on Monuments and SitesInternational Astronomical Union |
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Heritage Sites of Astronomy and Archaeoastronomy
in the Context of the World Heritage Convention
A Thematic Study
2010
This Thematic Study presents an overall vision on astronomical heritage, attempts to identify what constitutes “outstanding universal significance to humankind” in relation to astronomy, and identifies broad issues that could arise in the assessment of cultural properties relating to astronomy. It was the first ICOMOS Thematic Study in any field of science heritage. It is elaborated using examples of properties, including some already on the World Heritage List or national Tentative Lists. The second ICOMOS–IAU Thematic Study on astronomical heritage followed in 2017.
Download the entire eBook edition (45Mb) 
Below, you can view the contents and download individual chapters and case studies. These form the basis of various thematic essays and case studies on the portal, but the portal versions may have been revised and updated.
Contents
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| Preface, Acknowledgements, and Further information | |
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| List of authors | |
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| Introduction | |
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| Chapter 1: Earlier prehistory | |
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| Case Study 1.1. The Thaïs bone, France | |
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| Case Study 1.2. The decorated plate of the Geißenklösterle, Germany | |
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| Case Study 1.3. The Ishango bone, Democratic Republic of the Congo | |
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| Case Study 1.4. The astronomical rock panels in the Lascaux Cave, France | |
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| Chapter 2. Later prehistoric Europe | |
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| Case Study 2.1. Stonehenge World Heritage Site, United Kingdom | |
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| Case Study 2.2. Seven-stone antas, Portugal and Spain | |
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| Case Study 2.3. The stone circles at Odry, Poland | |
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| Chapter 3. Pre-Columbian America | |
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| Case Study 3.1. Boca de Potrerillos, Mexico | |
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| Case Study 3.2. Caguana, Puerto Rico | |
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| Case Study 3.3. Chankillo, Peru | |
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| Case Study 3.4. Metallurgical centre of Viña del Cerro, Chile | |
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| Chapter 4. Indigenous uses of astronomy | |
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| Case Study 4.1. Navajo star ceilings, USA | |
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| Case Study 4.2. Atituiti Ruga, Mangareva, French Polynesia | |
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| Case Study 4.3. Wurdi Youang, Australia | |
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| Chapter 5. Ancient and medieval Far East | |
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| Case Study 5.1. Taosi observatory, China | |
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| Case Study 5.2. Dengfeng observatory, China | |
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| Case Study 5.3. Beijing ancient observatory, China | |
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| Case Study 5.4. Cheomseongdae observatory, Republic of Korea | |
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| Chapter 6. India | |
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| Case Study 6.1. Jantar Mantar at Jaipur, India | |
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| Chapter 7. Mesopotamia and the Middle East | |
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| Chapter 8. Ancient Egypt | |
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| Case Study 8.1. The tomb of Senenmut at Western Thebes, Egypt | |
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| Case Study 8.2. The temple of Amun at Karnak, Egypt | |
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| Case Study 8.3. The temple of Hathor at Dandara, Egypt | |
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| Case Study 8.4. The pyramids of Giza and related buildings, Egypt | |
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| Case Study 8.5. Napata, Sudan, including the temples of Djebel Barkal and the Nuri necropolis | |
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| Chapter 9. The Classical World | |
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| Case Study 9.1. The Pnyx at Athens, Greece | |
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| Case Study 9.2. The acropolis of Alatri, Italy | |
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| Case Study 9.3. The Pantheon at Rome, Italy | |
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| Chapter 10. Islamic astronomy | |
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| Case Study 10.1. The Maragheh observatory, Iran | |
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| Case Study 10.2. Ulugh Beg's observatory, Uzbekistan | |
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| Chapter 11. Medieval astronomy in Europe | |
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| Case Study 11.1. Monkwearmouth - Jarrow, United Kingdom | |
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| Case Study 11.2. The Baptistery of Parma, Italy | |
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| Case Study 11.3. Strasbourg cathedral, France, and astronomical time | |
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| Chapter 12. Astronomy from the Renaissance to the mid-twentieth century | |
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| Case Study 12.1. The Royal Observatory, Greenwich, United Kingdom | |
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| Case Study 12.2. The Royal Observatory, Cape of Good Hope, South Africa | |
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| Case Study 12.3. Meudon observatory, France | |
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| Case Study 12.4. Mount Wilson observatory, USA | |
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| Case Study 12.5. The Einstein Tower, Potsdam, Germany | |
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| Chapter 13. The development of radio astronomy | |
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| Case Study 13.1. The Stockert radio telescope, Germany | |
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| Chapter 14. Applied astronomy in modern times | |
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| Case Study 14.1. The Struve geodetic arc | |
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| Chapter 15. Space heritage | |
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| Chapter 16. ‘Windows to the universe’—starlight, dark-sky areas and observatory sites | |
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| Case Study 16.1. Lake Tekapo - Aoraki - Mount Cook Starlight Reserve, New Zealand | |
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| Case Study 16.2. Eastern Alpine Starlight Reserve and Grossmugl Starlight Oasis, Austria | |
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| Case Study 16.3. AURA observatory, Chile | |
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| Case Study 16.4. Mauna Kea observatory, Hawaii, USA | |
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| Case Study 16.5. Canarian observatories, Spain | |
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| Conclusion – Astronomical heritage in the context of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention: developing a professional and rational approach | |
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