Cultural Astronomy and Archaeoastronomy: an Italian Experience

Abstract

A brief review is given of some recent positive developments regarding the reception of archaeoastronomy by the archaeological institutions in Italy. Discussions and problems that are currently going on in this field are also mentioned, such as the separation of the scientific and humanistic disciplines (i.e. the two cultures problem). Suggestions based on contemporary philosophy are also reported. Finally, sky-gazing is proposed as the place where the two cultures could meet, since, taking Plato into account, sky-gazing could be considered the mom of the human knowledge, and of the scientific and humanistic disciplines.