Myths are passed through the seasons of the night sky as constellations and stars, projecting man’s psyche in the cosmos. Characters that are light years from earth but still within the grasp of the human imagination. Take another look into the dark night sky and our prehistoric archaeoastronomical culture through Before Orion with author and naturalist Bernie Taylor.

Archaeoastronomy presentation exploring constellations in Paleolithic cave art at the Lascaux and the El Castillo caves.

From Bernie’s Blog

Precession of the Equinoxes Before Hipparchus? There is no historical basis to gauge a culture’s body of knowledge by the maxim “if we can’t see (or understand) it today, then no one has seen (or understood) it in the past.” We have found […]

Archaeoastronomy Audio Interviews

The State of the Universe with host Brendan Drachler (Building the Thirty Meter Telescope: Unifying Science and Spirituality)

The State of the Universe with host Brendan Drachler (the Drake Equation, Fermi Paradox and Biological Time)

The Space Show with host Dr. David Livingston (Adding “M” to the Drake Equation)

The Space Show with host Dr. David Livingston (Paleolithic Astronomy)

The State of the Universe with host Brendan Drachler (Paleolithic Astronomy)

Archaeoastronomy Videos

The constellation Ursa Major – the Great Bear – is shared in myths on many continents with a mother bear as the central character. This myth is storied in Gorham’s Cave at Gibraltar from 36,000 years ago. Is this the origin of an intercontinental astronomical myth? Explore these short videos.

30 minute presentation exploring the origins of constellations given at the Girl Scouts of Oregon and Southwest Washington Astronomy Club.

Hour presentation “Are We Alone in the Cosmos” discussing how biological time could be used as a factor in the Drake Equation. Presentation was given in 2019 at the University of Hawaii, Institute for Astronomy.

The spark that ignited our modern development of the Big Bang theory was founded in the Paleolithic cosmic egg myth. Are we trapped in a prehistoric paradigm? Consider the history in this two minute video. Delve into these other short videos.

Many Native American spiritual traditions connect to a Great Mystery in the sky. This tradition is observed around the world. How did this connection come to be and what does it tell us about ourselves? Consider the question in this two minute video “Shadows of the Great Mystery” exploring Native American archaeoastronomy. Reconsider our earliest astronomical myths in these short videos.

Hour presentation “Becoming Human” exploring how the origins of constellations set in motion the development of modern astronomy. Presentation given at the University of California San Diego, Department of Physics in 2019.

27 minute video “Are We Alone in the Cosmos” posted by Space and Intelligence.

Hour presentation “Who Were the First Astronomers” given at the Institute for Astronomy / University of Hawaii in 2018.

Archaeoastronomy Papers

“The Rich Past of Astronomical Discovery” from Physics Today

“At the Intersection of Earth and Heaven” from the Griffith Observer

“Are there Geese on Cygnus 3?” from the Griffith Observer

The astronomical phenomenon of precession can be observed on the Gorham's Etching in Gibraltar's Gorham's Cave and on the Gallery of Discs in the Spanish Cave of El Castillo to 34,000 years ago. This observation in Before Orion for these Paleolithic cave images does not indicate intuitive skywatchers before the 2nd-century-BCE Greek astronomer Hipparchus (or Paleolithic cave artists) understood or could calculate the precession of the equinoxes, as proposed by some authors, such as Giorgio de Santillana and Hertha von Dechend in their book Hamlet's Mill. Starry Night Pro 7 was utilized for all of the astronomical work in Before Orion. More about the precession of the equinoxes. Before Orion is in line with French archaeoastronomer Dr. Chantal Jègues-Wolkiewiez's research at the Lascaux Cave as featured in the 2007 documentary Lascaux le Ciel des Premiers Hommes (English -Prehistoric Astronomers) and her book Lascaux Et Le Ciel de la Préhistoire.