Norman Lockyer and the Controversial Beginnings of Archaeoastronomy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24215/26840162e023Keywords:
Norman Lockyer, Edfu, Stonehenge, Boscawen-Un, Avebury, archaeoastronomyAbstract
It has long been acknowledged that Norman Lockyer played a central role in the foundation of archaeoastronomy in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. His interest in what was then referred to as “orientation” flourished on a visit to Egypt, where he became convinced that rigorous scientific methods could be used to prove archaeological theories concerning ancient religions.
However, despite the prospect of a well-known intellectual entering the sparse discourse around archaeoastronomy, little happened to promote the discipline after the Egyptian expedition.
Whilst Lockyer is often framed as a lonely figure working at the dawn of the field, newly digitised lantern slides from the Norman Lockyer Observatory archives reveal his extensive interactions with a dedicated network of British archaeoastronomical researchers. Lockyer’s work, along with that of his new community, came at a very unfortunate time. This paper seeks to explain why his archaeoastronomic work was not well-received by prominent archaeologists, and why the discourse around archaeoastronomy up until his time smothered Lockyer’s attempts to legitimize orientation.
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