Michelle Gantevoort - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Michelle Gantevoort

Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, Vol. 19(3), pp. 327-347, 2016

The canopy of stars is a central presence in the daily and spiritual lives of Aboriginal Tasmania... more The canopy of stars is a central presence in the daily and spiritual lives of Aboriginal Tasmanians. With the arrival of European colonists, Tasmanian astronomical knowledge and traditions were interrupted and dispersed. Fragments can be found scattered in the ethnographic and historical record throughout the nineteenth century. We draw from ethno-historical documents to analyse and reconstruct Aboriginal astronomical knowledge in Tasmania. This analysis demonstrates that stars, the Milky Way, constellations, dark nebula, the Sun, Moon, meteors, and aurorae held cultural, spiritual, and subsistence significance within the Aboriginal cultures of Tasmania. We move beyond a monolithic view of Aboriginal astronomical knowledge in Tasmania, commonly portrayed in previous research, to lay the groundwork for future ethnographic and archaeological fieldwork with Aboriginal elders and communities.

Aboriginal peoples of Tasmania lived in isolation with the environment for thousands of years, th... more Aboriginal peoples of Tasmania lived in isolation with the environment for thousands of years, the canopy of stars a central presence on the daily and spiritual lives of Tasmania. With the arrival of European settlers, the (astronomical) cultures of Tasmanian Aboriginal people were interrupted and dispersed. Fragments can be found scattered in the ethnographic record throughout the nineteenth century. This thesis uses historical textual analysis to draw these fragments from the record and organize into a database. The interrogation of this data through linguistics, comparative research and Stellairum reveal a complexity of sky knowledge evident between the nine language groups of Tasmania. It was found that stars, the Milky Way, Orion, dark nebula, the sun and moon, as well as transient phenomenon (aurora and eclipse), held cultural, spiritual and practical meaning within Tasmanian Aboriginal cultures. This thesis shows a reconstruction that moves beyond a monolithic view of Aboriginal Astronomy in Tasmania, commonly portrayed in previous research. The results also show difference in traditions is evident across Tasmania, laying the ground work for further rigorous investigation into the nuances of Tasmanian Aboriginal astronomies.

Journal of Astronomical History and Heritage, Vol. 19(3), pp. 327-347, 2016

The canopy of stars is a central presence in the daily and spiritual lives of Aboriginal Tasmania... more The canopy of stars is a central presence in the daily and spiritual lives of Aboriginal Tasmanians. With the arrival of European colonists, Tasmanian astronomical knowledge and traditions were interrupted and dispersed. Fragments can be found scattered in the ethnographic and historical record throughout the nineteenth century. We draw from ethno-historical documents to analyse and reconstruct Aboriginal astronomical knowledge in Tasmania. This analysis demonstrates that stars, the Milky Way, constellations, dark nebula, the Sun, Moon, meteors, and aurorae held cultural, spiritual, and subsistence significance within the Aboriginal cultures of Tasmania. We move beyond a monolithic view of Aboriginal astronomical knowledge in Tasmania, commonly portrayed in previous research, to lay the groundwork for future ethnographic and archaeological fieldwork with Aboriginal elders and communities.

Aboriginal peoples of Tasmania lived in isolation with the environment for thousands of years, th... more Aboriginal peoples of Tasmania lived in isolation with the environment for thousands of years, the canopy of stars a central presence on the daily and spiritual lives of Tasmania. With the arrival of European settlers, the (astronomical) cultures of Tasmanian Aboriginal people were interrupted and dispersed. Fragments can be found scattered in the ethnographic record throughout the nineteenth century. This thesis uses historical textual analysis to draw these fragments from the record and organize into a database. The interrogation of this data through linguistics, comparative research and Stellairum reveal a complexity of sky knowledge evident between the nine language groups of Tasmania. It was found that stars, the Milky Way, Orion, dark nebula, the sun and moon, as well as transient phenomenon (aurora and eclipse), held cultural, spiritual and practical meaning within Tasmanian Aboriginal cultures. This thesis shows a reconstruction that moves beyond a monolithic view of Aboriginal Astronomy in Tasmania, commonly portrayed in previous research. The results also show difference in traditions is evident across Tasmania, laying the ground work for further rigorous investigation into the nuances of Tasmanian Aboriginal astronomies.