Journal or Publication Title:
Date of publication:
Volume:
Number:
ISSN:
Title:
Ancient perceptions of the Pleiades
Creator:
Subject:
Uncontrolled Keywords:
Pleiades ; Aboriginal astronomy ; mythology
Spatial coverage:
Abstract:
The Pleiades cluster is prominent in many cultures. Curiously, many cultures call it the Seven Sisters while acknowledging that most people only see six stars. They then have stories to explain why only six are visible. Similar stories about the Pleiades are found around the world and are shared by cultures (e.g., Australian Aboriginal and Classical Greek) that have had no cultural contact, even indirect contact, for tens of thousands of years. These curious details suggest the stories may date back to the time when early humans left Africa. This paper is part of a larger study to catalogue ancient references to the Pleiades, to help trace the history and evolution of the ancient myths and artefacts that refer to the Pleiades. This paper has a particular focus on material from Armenia and its surrounding region.