By Julie Ackendorf
Updated Mar 24, 2022
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Before farmers could rely on seasons to decide when to plant or harvest, early societies first identified the stars and formed constellations that endure to this day. These celestial patterns were woven into myths, teaching stories, and moral lessons that shaped cultural identity.
In Mali, the Dogon people claim that ancient astronauts from the star system Sirius visited them, revealing that Sirius is a binary star (Sirius A and B) and that Earth is round and surrounded by space. Their knowledge, recorded by French astronomers in 1930, was later confirmed by modern astronomy in the 1970s.
Hesiod (c. 700 BC) was the first to codify Greek cosmology, linking celestial bodies to a divine genealogy. Over centuries, writers and artists expanded this cosmology, turning constellations such as Perseus, Cetus, and Andromeda into enduring stories that remain visible in the night sky today.
By around 5,000 years ago, ancient astronomers in the British Isles noted the sun’s and moon’s cycles. They constructed henges—circular earthworks, stone circles, or timber rings—to mark solstices and equinoxes, enabling them to time planting and harvesting. Stonehenge is the most renowned example.
Maritime cultures such as the Phoenicians used the Sun’s trajectory and star positions for navigation. In the Northern Hemisphere, the North Star (Polaris) remains a fixed point that guides sailors, thanks to its stable position above the celestial pole.
Early Babylonian astronomers catalogued planetary motions, believing that these movements could forecast human affairs. This practice laid the groundwork for the zodiac, which has influenced astrological traditions worldwide.
