Gumerman, G. J.,Warburton, M.
Researchers who have made a study of past cultures' interest in and conception of the heavens have often treated the topic narrowly, rather than in the context of the entire culture. Archaeoastronomers, coming from many different disciplines, have explored the subject by trying to identify archaeological features such as architectural alignments and rock art in relationship to celestial events and processes. Anthropological archaeologists on the other hand, whose goal it is to understand the evolutionary trajectory of a past culture, often completely ignore the entire concept of cosmology and the role of celestial phenomena. This essay explores the reasons for the failure of anthropological archaeologists and archaeoastronomers to effectively utilize the results of each other's research, and offers suggestions for the integration of archaeoastronomy into more systemic cultural studies.