The University of Maryland puts it best when discussing the true meaning of archaeoastronomy. Simply put, it is the study of the very human side of astronomy. The umbrella term for all its fields, including the history of astronomical research, “cultural astronomy,” is also used. As humans, we have a knack for not only pattern-recognition, but also story-telling with the ability to touch the innermost thoughts and feelings of others. For that reason, cultural astronomical knowledge, not only ancient but contemporary, is precious. Without it, we lose crucial insight into the human experience. The following link is a great resource on learning about the history as well as the present state of archaeoastronomy research. This is one source Project Night Sky pulls from for our outreach data, as well.

https://www.grace.umd.edu/~tlaloc/archastro/cfaar_as.html