Episode 15: Exploring Astronomy Through the Eyes of Archaeology

Join host Pranet Sharma for the first episode recorded on podcasting equipment (!!!) Meet Dr. Andrew Koh, archaeologist and museum scientist at the Yale Peabody Museum and research fellow at the MIT Center for Materials Research in Archaeology and Ethnology, to discuss the perspectives that archaeology has on astronomy and pursue the fascinating intersections from prehistory to today.

Topics include: what archaeological science means; the Antikythera Mechanism and other technological wonders of the ancient world; archaeoastronomy and archaeoastronomers; how ancient organics are like starlight; technological techniques in archaeology; the gates of Ptolemy; Dr. Derek Price and scientometrics; eclipses, supernovae, and other celestial ways to absolute date; the importance of combining disciplines; artificial intelligence within archaeology; discovering the oldest wine cellar in the world; how to combine existing and novel approaches to research; the psychology in archaeology—and the deep humanity in the study of ancient peoples; how the fundamental cosmological questions and archaeological questions are shared; telling the story of humanity within the universe; and why curiosity is the most important trait to have in life. 

Visit https://peabody.yale.edu/ to see what Dr. Koh is up to in the lab and in the field. For any questions about the show, visit www.skysimplified.com/contact. Thank you for listening, and as always, clear skies!

Dr. Koh's social media: @kappahydroxide
SkySimplified Twitter: @skysimplified
SkySimplified Instagram: @skysimplified
SkySimplified Hub: linktr.ee/skysimplified