Watchers of the Pleiades: Ethnoastronomy among Native Cultivators in Northeastern North America Export

@article{citeulike:4138451, abstract = {Iroquois and Algonquian cultivators of northeastern North America are among the world's varied cultures to observe the bright cluster of stars known as the Pleiades. According to documentary, ethnographic, and archaeological evidence these northeast natives appear to have related the coincidence of the Pleiades' celestial positions in spring and fall with the seasonal limits of the frost-free season. This significant discovery, it is proposed, provided a scientific basis for achieving maize productivity in a near-marginal region; it was therefore a critical part of their cultivation technology and as such is reflected in myths and ceremonies.}, author = {Ceci, Lynn}, citeulike-article-id = {4138451}, citeulike-linkout-0 = {http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/481683}, citeulike-linkout-1 = {http://www.jstor.org/stable/481683}, doi = {10.2307/481683}, issn = {00141801}, journal = {Ethnohistory}, keywords = {algonquian, american, archaeology, astronomy, ceremony, cultivation, ethnoastronomy, ethnography, farming, history, indigenous, iroquois, maize, myth, nativeamerican, northeastern, pleiades, technology}, number = {4}, pages = {301--317}, posted-at = {2009-03-05 19:38:05}, priority = {2}, publisher = {Duke University Press}, title = {Watchers of the Pleiades: Ethnoastronomy among Native Cultivators in Northeastern North America}, url = {http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/481683}, volume = {25}, year = {1978} }

TY - JOUR ID - citeulike:4138451 L3 - citeulike-article-id:4138451 N2 - Iroquois and Algonquian cultivators of northeastern North America are among the world's varied cultures to observe the bright cluster of stars known as the Pleiades. According to documentary, ethnographic, and archaeological evidence these northeast natives appear to have related the coincidence of the Pleiades' celestial positions in spring and fall with the seasonal limits of the frost-free season. This significant discovery, it is proposed, provided a scientific basis for achieving maize productivity in a near-marginal region; it was therefore a critical part of their cultivation technology and as such is reflected in myths and ceremonies. IS - 4 JF - Ethnohistory SN - 00141801 EP - 317 TI - Watchers of the Pleiades: Ethnoastronomy among Native Cultivators in Northeastern North America PB - Duke University Press VL - 25 SP - 301 KW - algonquian KW - american KW - archaeology KW - astronomy KW - ceremony KW - cultivation KW - ethnoastronomy KW - ethnography KW - farming KW - history KW - indigenous KW - iroquois KW - maize KW - myth KW - nativeamerican KW - northeastern KW - pleiades KW - technology AU - Ceci, Lynn PY - 1978/// UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/481683 ER -