高等研究所セミナー:「古代の空を読む ― 天文学と歴史学の交差点」
WIAS Seminar: “Ancient Astronomical Observations: Where History Meets Astronomy”(10/29)
概要 / Abstract
本イベントでは、紀元前7世紀のアッシリア帝国における天体観測を手がかりに、古代の人々が宇宙をどのように捉えていたのかを考察する。また、考古学者と天文学者による講演と対談を通じて、古代の宇宙観と現代天文学が描く宇宙像を比較し、人類の宇宙理解の変遷を探る。
This seminar will explore how people in ancient times perceived the heavens and universe, drawing insights from celestial observations conducted in the Assyrian Empire during the 7th century BC. Through a combination of a historical lecture and panel discussions of scholars from three distinct fields – Ancient History, Archaeology and Modern Astronomy – the seminar will seek to understand the changing perceptions of the universe throughout human history by comparing the ancient cosmologies and available evidence, with the modern astronomical view of the universe.
プログラム / Program
14:00 – 14:10 Opening Remarks (Masafusa Onoue, Waseda) / 趣旨説明(尾上 匡房)
14:10 – 15:00 Lecture “Watching the Skies: Observing and Interpreting the Heavens in 7th-Century BCE Assyria” (Saki Kikuchi, LMU Munich) / 講演(菊地 咲)
15:00 – 15:15 Break / 休憩
15:15 – 15:25 Replay / 質疑応答
15:25 – 16:25 Thema Discussion (Saki Kikuchi, Emily Miyama, Masafusa Onoue) / テーマディスカッション(菊地 咲、深山 絵実梨、尾上 匡房)
16:25 – 16:30 Closing Remarks (Emily Miyama, Waseda) / 閉会挨拶(深山 絵実梨)
登壇者 / Speaker

Saki Kikuchi (LMU Munich) / 菊地 咲(ミュンヘン大学古代史研究所 研究員)
Saki Kikuchi is a postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Ancient History, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) Munich. Her current project examines the role of divination in political decision-making in the Assyrian Empire, drawing on reports and letters concerning celestial phenomena. Her broader research interests include Mesopotamian religion, scholarly tradition, and knowledge transfer, as well as the reception of Mesopotamian astronomy and divination in the history of science. She received her PhD in Assyriology from Heidelberg University in 2023; her dissertation, a corpus study and critical edition of the calendrical divinatory texts known as hemerologies, was awarded the Dr. Gerhard Ott Prize. She previously held a postdoctoral position at the University of Würzburg.
日時 / Date and Time
2026年10月29日(木) 14:00 – 17:00 / October 29, 2026 (Thu.) 14:00 – 17:00
会場 / Venue
早稲田大学 早稲田キャンパス19号館7階711教室 / Room #711, Building #19, Waseda Campus, Waseda University
※対面のみの開催となります。 / Held in person only.
言語 / Language
英語 / English
対象者 / Prospected Audience
学部生、大学院生、教員、研究者 / Students, Graduate students, Faculty members, Research members
主催 / Host
早稲田大学 高等研究所 / WIAS
企画 / Organizer
尾上 匡房(早稲田大学高等研究所 講師)、深山 絵実梨(早稲田大学高等研究所 講師) /
Masafusa Onoue (Assistant Professor, WIAS), Emily Miyama (Assistant Professor, WIAS)







