Ancestral Astronomy and Modern Astronomy

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Nowadays, ancestral astronomy is associated with religious and mythological beliefs, dedicated to the prediction of astronomical events like eclipses, seasons of the year, solstices, equinoxes, etc.

The calendars and timekeeping devices of ancient societies are well recognized for their civil functions in agriculture and their roles in religious rituals and ceremonies. It is in this brief and naive way that the astronomy of ancient cultures is usually explained.