Table of Contents
African Insight argues that sky knowledge belongs to Africa as well as to Greece or Mesopotamia, and that schools should hold both. It points to watching tied to Great Zimbabwe, Timbuktu, Egypt, and other African peoples, and says colonial classrooms pushed local star teaching aside. Greek, Roman, Arab, and later writers, it claims, placed astrology’s origin in Iraq and named stars only from their own languages. The word astrology is Greek. The center of the case is Egypt, called Kemet. Egyptians, in this account, followed sun, moon, and constellations, divided the year by twelve, and kept 365 days. A shadow clock is their early timepiece, and they are called the first timekeepers. The Dendera zodiac, found in 1799 and removed to France, is offered as a star map with familiar signs. The Dogon of Mali and Burkina Faso are said to have known that planets orbit the sun and to have tracked a bright star with a faint companion. Astrology, at the close, is a language of health, spirit, and history, not a ranking of peoples.
Key points
- The channel wants African and Western teachings about the sun, moon, and stars held side by side in schools.
- It says later writers placed astrology in Iraq and named stars only from Greek, Latin, or Arabic.
- Egypt, in this account, charted the sky, divided the year into twelve, and kept a 365 day calendar.
- The Dendera zodiac is presented as a star map removed to France in the nineteenth century.
- The Dogon are credited with knowing planetary orbits and with tracking a bright star and its faint companion.
Short quotes
the term astrology was coined by the Greeks
African Insight, African roots of star lore
The channel treats the word astrology as a later Greek label. Watch at 2:23
they were the world's first time keepers
African Insight, African roots of star lore
He credits Egyptians with the earliest timekeeping. Watch at 4:38
the star system is 8.6 light years away from Earth
African Insight, African roots of star lore
He gives the distance of the star system he says the Dogon already tracked. Watch at 6:43
Video by African Insight. Watch on YouTube.