Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jn8rn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T05:50:55.091Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Archaeoastronomy and ethnoastronomy in the Ryukyu Islands: a preliminary report

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  26 July 2011

Akira Goto
Akira Goto*
Affiliation:
Anthropological Institute, Nanzan University, 18 Yamazato-cho, Showa-ku, Nagoya 466-8673, Japan email: [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The Ryukyu (Okinawa) Islands are situated in sub-tropical zone between the Japanese Archipelago and Taiwan. Although Okinawan people have a rich tradition of star lore, few studies have been undertaken on its relevance to subsistence, religion and the socio-political system. This paper is a first attempt to explore a systematic relationship between star lore (e.g. relating to the Pleiades) with agriculture, fishing, navigation and religious practice. This paper also considers the possibility of interpreting the nature of prehistoric and historical stone structures from the viewpoint of archaeoastronomy. This kind of analysis is likely to be fruitful, since the kingship of the Ryukyu Islands was strongly associated with sun worship.

Keywords

Ryukyu IslandsOkinawaJapanRyukyu kingdomsun worshipPleiadessolstice
Type
Contributed Papers
Information
Proceedings of the International Astronomical Union , Volume 7 , Symposium S278: “Oxford IX” International Symposium on Archaeoastronomy , January 2011 , pp. 315 - 324
Copyright
Copyright © International Astronomical Union 2011

References

Gladwin, T. 1970, East is a Big Bird: Navigation and Logic on Puluwat Atoll, Harvard University Press, Cambridge MA.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Goto, A. 2010, Mythicization of tsunami in the Ryukyu Islands: a process of seascape formation in island societies. In Wallin, P. and Martisson-Wallin, H. (eds), Selected Papers from the VII International Conference on Easter Island and the Pacific: Migration, Identity, and Cultural Heritage, Gotland University, Visby, pp. 465–471.Google Scholar
Hilder, B. 1959, Polynesian navigational stones. Journal of the Institute of Navigation 12, 90–97.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Iwasaki, T. 1974, Collected Papers of Takuji Iwasaki, Dento to Gendai, Tokyo [in Japanese].Google Scholar
Kirch, P. V. 2004, Solstice observation in Mangareva, French Polynesia: new perspectives from archaeology. Archaeoastronomy. The Journal of Astronomy in Culture, 18, 1–19.Google Scholar
Kojima, Y. 1987, Shuri Castle: gods supporting kingship. In Tanigawa, K. (ed.), Gods in Japan, Vol. 13, Hakusuisha, Tokyo, pp. 133–167.Google Scholar
Kuroshima, T. 1999, Seizu, Tenkimiyo-no-koto, and Hoshimiyo. Bulletin of the Ishigaki Municap Museum of Yaeyama 16/17, 38–52.Google Scholar
Ruggles, C. L. N. 1999, Astronomy, oral literature, and landscape in ancient Hawai‘i. Archaeoastronomy. The Journal of Astronomy in Culture, 14 (2), 33–86.Google Scholar
Nakahara, Z. 1990, History and Folklore of Kumejima Island (ed. by Uezu, Hitoshi), Daiichi Shobo, Tokyo [in Japanese].Google Scholar
Suetsugu, S. 1995, Kingship and Mythology of the Ryukyu: A Study of Omoro-Soshi, Daiichi Shobo, Tokyo [in Japanese].Google Scholar
Tarama Village, 1993, A History of Tarama Village, Vol.4(3): Folklore, Editorial Board of Village History, Tarama Village, Okinawa.Google Scholar
Yokoo, H. & Miyaji, T. 2007, On the Star-Observing Stone in Ishigaki Island. A Lecture at the 39th Danten-no-kai, National Astronomical Observatory, Tokyo [in Japanese].Google Scholar