Navigation in the Ancient Mediterranean and Beyond

Abstract

This lesson unit has been developed within the framework the EU Space Awareness project. It provides an insight into the history and navigational methods of the Bronze Age Mediterranean peoples. The students explore the link between exciting history and astronomical knowledge. Besides an overview of ancient seafaring in the Mediterranean, the students explore in two hands-on activities early navigational skills using the stars and constellations and their apparent nightly movement across the sky. In the course of the activities, they become familiar with the stellar constellations and how they are distributed across the northern and southern sky.