Giulio Magli
Biographic Data
| ID | 540696 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Giulio Magli |
| GIVEN NAMES | Giulio |
| FAMILY NAME | Magli |
| SIGNATURE | MAGLI G |
| AFFILIATIONS | Politecnico di Milano |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-4460-4282 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 24 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 18 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 24 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2008 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 2 |
Orion and the Scorpion
So-called catasterisms, the ascent of individuals to the heavens as constellations, form an important part of the Greek mythological lore of the sky. Originally described in a lost work by Eratosthenes, they repeatedly appear in both Greek and in Roman literature – e.g. in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. However, although there exist several works of ancient art depicting constellations, to date there are no known iconographic depictions of any of the corr…
Going straight in a sacred landscape
The Hopewell culture built a series of geometric earthworks, among which the Newark Earthworks stand out as the most complex. It has long been suspected that a ceremonial, double-walled straight road connected Newark with the Hopewell Heartland, located in modern Chillicothe, 90 km southwest. In recent years, evidence for this Great Hopewell Road increased, as well as the awareness that the whole area was a sacred landscape; however, up to now, e…
The 1 April 2471 b.C. Eclipse and the End of the Fourth Egyptian Dynasty
On 1 April 2471 b.C., an impressive, unpredictable phenomenon occurred over the Delta of the Nile: a total solar eclipse, with the totality band almost centred on the sacred city of Buto, and the “capital” Memphis on the verge of the totality. This date is compatible with existing chronologies for the reign of Pharaoh Shepseskaf, who adopted a clamorous symbolic break with respect to the tradition of “solarized” kings started by Khufu. Indeed, hi…
The alleged phenological calendar in Palaeolithic art
In a recent paper an interpretation of non-figurative Upper Palaeolithic signs has been proposed in numerical-calendrical terms: when found in association with animals, signs are interpreted as denoting lunar months of a ‘phenological calendar’. The same authors propose the (relatively common) Y sign to be a marker of the birth period. The combination of the two notations should, therefore, furnish information on the seasonal behavior of the spec…
Satellite-Aided Analysis of the Position of the Sun Temples and the Dynastic History of the Vth Egyptian Dynasty
The Sun Temples of the Vth dynasty are the most elusive Egyptian monuments of the Old Kingdom. Textual sources seem to refer to a different temple for each different pharaoh of the dynasty, but only two have been discovered at Abu Gurab, a few hundred meters north of the dynastic necropolis of Abusir. Previously, the author has proposed a cognitive–topographical framework that strongly supports the idea, originally formulated by Stadelmann, that …
Archaeoastronomy and the alleged 'Stonehenge calendar
In a recent Antiquity article, Darvill (2022) proposed that the mid third-millennium BC Stage 2 sarsen settings of Stonehenge (comprising the Trilithon Horseshoe, Sarsen Circle and the Station Stone Rectangle) were conceived in order to represent a calendar year of 365.25 days-that is, a calendar identical in duration to the Julian calendar. In the present article, the authors argue that this proposal is unsubstantiated, being based as it is on a…
Evidence and analogy in Archaeoastronomy
This paper addresses the role of analogical reasoning in archaeoastronomy - the discipline which studies the connections between the ancient monuments and the heavens. Archaeoastronomy is a highly interdisciplinary science, placed at the border between the humanities – especially archaeology – and the scientific approach to cultural heritage. As a consequence, its scientific foundations are a delicate matter. We plan to investigate here the quest…
The Beautiful Face of Ra
In the famous projects of ancient Egyptian architecture, sunlight had always a special role. An expert use of light and shadows helped in creating halls filled with sacredness in many temples; but most of all the Sun was the visible face of Ra, the Sun God. As a consequence, religious and funerary architectural projects were connected with the sun rays on special days of the year through astronomical alignments. The chapter focuses on a few key e…
Archaeoastronomy of the Temples of the Bekaa Valley
The Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, is famous worldwide due to the magnificent temple of Heliopolitan Jupiter at Baalbek. In recent years, new research revived the interest in the unsolved problems posed by the Baalbek monuments, including original dating and construction phases, relationships with the landscape, and nature of the cult practiced. In a preliminary paper, we used archaeoastronomy to propose that the project of the Temple of Jupiter was a un…
Astronomy and Feng Shui in the projects of the Tang, Ming and Qing royal mausoleums
Archaeoastronomy in the Khmer Heartland
The heartland of the Khmer empire is literally crowded with magnificent monuments built in the course of many centuries. These monuments include the world-famous "state-temples", such as Angkor Wat, but also many other temples and huge water reservoirs. Using data from Google Earth as well as GIS and reconstructing the ancient sky with Stellarium, we investigate the relationships of astronomy with orientation and topography in a systematic fashio…
Royal mausoleums of the western Han and of the Song Chinese dynasties
Astronomy, topography and landscape at Akragas’ Valley of the Temples
The Giza ‘written’ landscape and the double project of King Khufu
In recent years, different scientific disciplines – from physics to Egyptology, from geology to archaeoastronomy – have generated a series of clues pointing to the possibility that the original project of the pyramid complex of Khufu at Giza also included the project of the second pyramid complex at the same site, that of Khafra. The aim of the present paper is to discuss this issue in a systematic fashion and to explore its implications in terms…
Nero’s “Solar” Kingship and the Architecture of the Domus Aurea
The Domus Aurea, Nero’s last “palace” constructed in the very heart of ancient Rome, is a true masterpiece of Roman architecture. We explore here symbolic aspects of the emperor’s project, analyzing the archaeoastronomy of the best preserved part of the Domus, the Esquiline Wing. In particular, we study the so-called Octagonal Room, the huge vaulted room which is in many respects a predecessor of the Pantheon. The project of the room turns out to…
Augustus' Power from the Stars and the Foundation of Augusta Praetoria Salassorum
Augustus' propaganda founded the ruler's power on a series of references to the sky: Caesar's comet, which helped to establish the divine nature of kingship, the completion of the calendar's reform celebrated in the Campus Martius' meridian, and Augustus' association with Capricorn, the zodiacal sign of the winter solstice. Various forms of proof derived from texts, works of art and numismatics show the key role of such a ‘power from the stars’. …
Some Cognitive Aspects of the Luxor-Karnak Relationship
The role of the Luxor-Karnak relationship within the sacred space of eastern Thebes during the New Kingdom is analyzed taking into account cognitive aspects. In particular, the orientation of the so-called Avenue of the Sphinxes and the successive bends effected in the enlargements of the Luxor temple are shown to be related to already ancient, familiar aspects of the Egyptian conception of sacred landscapes. These results confirm that the main f…
Uncovering a masterpiece of Roman engineering
Architecture, Astronomy and Sacred Landscape in Ancient Egypt
The Snefru Projects and the Topography of Funerary Landscapes during the Twelfth Egyptian Dynasty
The topography of the pyramids of the twelfth dynasty is explored here in its full historical and chronological context, with the aim of highlighting connections between the architectural choices, religious ideas, and traditions inspiring the reigns of the Pharaohs of that period. There emerges a clear and close connection between the conceptual landscapes devised by the architects of these rulers, and the two “'double” building projects carried …
The Astronomical Orientation of the Urban Plan of Alexandria
Alexander the Great founded Alexandria in 331 BC. An examination of the topography of the city today allows the identification of the essential elements of the original urban system, and shows that the site was chosen mainly for religious and symbolic reasons. In fact, Alexandria was the prototype of a series of Hellenistic towns designed as ‘king's towns’ that aimed to make explicit the divine power of their founder. We examine the orientation o…
El complejo megalítico de Monte Baranta en Cerdeña
The imposing megalithic complex located on the Monte Baranta plateau, near the town of Olmedo in North-west Sardinia is one of the best preserved monuments of the pre-nuragic period, and pertains to the cultural horizon called Monte Claro (2500-2200 BC circa). The complex is particularly interesting in the context of late-Neolithic architecture since it was abandoned already during the Monte Claro phase, and only sporadic frequentation is documen…
The Role of the Sun in the Pantheon’s Design and Meaning
Despite being one of the most recognizable buildings from ancient Rome, the Pantheon is poorly understood. While its architecture has been well studied, its function remains uncertain. This paper argues that both the design and the meaning of the Pantheon are in fact dependent upon an understanding of the role of the sun in the building, and of the apotheosized emperor in Roman thought. Supporting evidence is drawn not only from the instruments o…
On the Orientation of Roman Towns in Italy
Several Roman writers report on the existence of a town foundation ritual, inherited from the Etruscans, which allegedly included astronomical references. However, the possible existence of astronomical orientations in the layout of Roman towns has never been considered in a systematic way. As a first step in this direction, the orientation of 38 Roman towns in Italy is studied here. Non‐random orientation patterns emerge from these data, calling…
The Role of the Sun in the Pantheon’s Design and Meaning
Despite being one of the most recognizable buildings from ancient Rome, the Pantheon is poorly understood. While its architecture has been well studied, its function remains uncertain. This paper argues that both the design and the meaning of the Pantheon are in fact dependent upon an understanding of the role of the sun in the building, and of the apotheosized emperor in Roman thought. Supporting evidence is drawn not only from the instruments o…
On the Orientation of Roman Towns in Italy
Several Roman writers report on the existence of a town foundation ritual, inherited from the Etruscans, which allegedly included astronomical references. However, the possible existence of astronomical orientations in the layout of Roman towns has never been considered in a systematic way. As a first step in this direction, the orientation of 38 Roman towns in Italy is studied here. Non‐random orientation patterns emerge from these data, calling…
Royal mausoleums of the western Han and of the Song Chinese dynasties
Augustus' Power from the Stars and the Foundation of Augusta Praetoria Salassorum
Augustus' propaganda founded the ruler's power on a series of references to the sky: Caesar's comet, which helped to establish the divine nature of kingship, the completion of the calendar's reform celebrated in the Campus Martius' meridian, and Augustus' association with Capricorn, the zodiacal sign of the winter solstice. Various forms of proof derived from texts, works of art and numismatics show the key role of such a ‘power from the stars’. …
Astronomy, topography and landscape at Akragas’ Valley of the Temples
The Giza ‘written’ landscape and the double project of King Khufu
In recent years, different scientific disciplines – from physics to Egyptology, from geology to archaeoastronomy – have generated a series of clues pointing to the possibility that the original project of the pyramid complex of Khufu at Giza also included the project of the second pyramid complex at the same site, that of Khafra. The aim of the present paper is to discuss this issue in a systematic fashion and to explore its implications in terms…
Uncovering a masterpiece of Roman engineering
The Astronomical Orientation of the Urban Plan of Alexandria
Alexander the Great founded Alexandria in 331 BC. An examination of the topography of the city today allows the identification of the essential elements of the original urban system, and shows that the site was chosen mainly for religious and symbolic reasons. In fact, Alexandria was the prototype of a series of Hellenistic towns designed as ‘king's towns’ that aimed to make explicit the divine power of their founder. We examine the orientation o…
On the Orientation of Roman Towns in Italy
Several Roman writers report on the existence of a town foundation ritual, inherited from the Etruscans, which allegedly included astronomical references. However, the possible existence of astronomical orientations in the layout of Roman towns has never been considered in a systematic way. As a first step in this direction, the orientation of 38 Roman towns in Italy is studied here. Non‐random orientation patterns emerge from these data, calling…
El complejo megalítico de Monte Baranta en Cerdeña
The imposing megalithic complex located on the Monte Baranta plateau, near the town of Olmedo in North-west Sardinia is one of the best preserved monuments of the pre-nuragic period, and pertains to the cultural horizon called Monte Claro (2500-2200 BC circa). The complex is particularly interesting in the context of late-Neolithic architecture since it was abandoned already during the Monte Claro phase, and only sporadic frequentation is documen…
The Role of the Sun in the Pantheon’s Design and Meaning
Despite being one of the most recognizable buildings from ancient Rome, the Pantheon is poorly understood. While its architecture has been well studied, its function remains uncertain. This paper argues that both the design and the meaning of the Pantheon are in fact dependent upon an understanding of the role of the sun in the building, and of the apotheosized emperor in Roman thought. Supporting evidence is drawn not only from the instruments o…
The Snefru Projects and the Topography of Funerary Landscapes during the Twelfth Egyptian Dynasty
The topography of the pyramids of the twelfth dynasty is explored here in its full historical and chronological context, with the aim of highlighting connections between the architectural choices, religious ideas, and traditions inspiring the reigns of the Pharaohs of that period. There emerges a clear and close connection between the conceptual landscapes devised by the architects of these rulers, and the two “'double” building projects carried …
The Astronomical Orientation of the Urban Plan of Alexandria
Alexander the Great founded Alexandria in 331 BC. An examination of the topography of the city today allows the identification of the essential elements of the original urban system, and shows that the site was chosen mainly for religious and symbolic reasons. In fact, Alexandria was the prototype of a series of Hellenistic towns designed as ‘king's towns’ that aimed to make explicit the divine power of their founder. We examine the orientation o…
Architecture, Astronomy and Sacred Landscape in Ancient Egypt
Some Cognitive Aspects of the Luxor-Karnak Relationship
The role of the Luxor-Karnak relationship within the sacred space of eastern Thebes during the New Kingdom is analyzed taking into account cognitive aspects. In particular, the orientation of the so-called Avenue of the Sphinxes and the successive bends effected in the enlargements of the Luxor temple are shown to be related to already ancient, familiar aspects of the Egyptian conception of sacred landscapes. These results confirm that the main f…
Uncovering a masterpiece of Roman engineering
Augustus' Power from the Stars and the Foundation of Augusta Praetoria Salassorum
Augustus' propaganda founded the ruler's power on a series of references to the sky: Caesar's comet, which helped to establish the divine nature of kingship, the completion of the calendar's reform celebrated in the Campus Martius' meridian, and Augustus' association with Capricorn, the zodiacal sign of the winter solstice. Various forms of proof derived from texts, works of art and numismatics show the key role of such a ‘power from the stars’. …
The Giza ‘written’ landscape and the double project of King Khufu
In recent years, different scientific disciplines – from physics to Egyptology, from geology to archaeoastronomy – have generated a series of clues pointing to the possibility that the original project of the pyramid complex of Khufu at Giza also included the project of the second pyramid complex at the same site, that of Khafra. The aim of the present paper is to discuss this issue in a systematic fashion and to explore its implications in terms…
Nero’s “Solar” Kingship and the Architecture of the Domus Aurea
The Domus Aurea, Nero’s last “palace” constructed in the very heart of ancient Rome, is a true masterpiece of Roman architecture. We explore here symbolic aspects of the emperor’s project, analyzing the archaeoastronomy of the best preserved part of the Domus, the Esquiline Wing. In particular, we study the so-called Octagonal Room, the huge vaulted room which is in many respects a predecessor of the Pantheon. The project of the room turns out to…
Archaeoastronomy in the Khmer Heartland
The heartland of the Khmer empire is literally crowded with magnificent monuments built in the course of many centuries. These monuments include the world-famous "state-temples", such as Angkor Wat, but also many other temples and huge water reservoirs. Using data from Google Earth as well as GIS and reconstructing the ancient sky with Stellarium, we investigate the relationships of astronomy with orientation and topography in a systematic fashio…
Royal mausoleums of the western Han and of the Song Chinese dynasties
Astronomy, topography and landscape at Akragas’ Valley of the Temples
Astronomy and Feng Shui in the projects of the Tang, Ming and Qing royal mausoleums
The Beautiful Face of Ra
In the famous projects of ancient Egyptian architecture, sunlight had always a special role. An expert use of light and shadows helped in creating halls filled with sacredness in many temples; but most of all the Sun was the visible face of Ra, the Sun God. As a consequence, religious and funerary architectural projects were connected with the sun rays on special days of the year through astronomical alignments. The chapter focuses on a few key e…
Archaeoastronomy of the Temples of the Bekaa Valley
The Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, is famous worldwide due to the magnificent temple of Heliopolitan Jupiter at Baalbek. In recent years, new research revived the interest in the unsolved problems posed by the Baalbek monuments, including original dating and construction phases, relationships with the landscape, and nature of the cult practiced. In a preliminary paper, we used archaeoastronomy to propose that the project of the Temple of Jupiter was a un…
Evidence and analogy in Archaeoastronomy
This paper addresses the role of analogical reasoning in archaeoastronomy - the discipline which studies the connections between the ancient monuments and the heavens. Archaeoastronomy is a highly interdisciplinary science, placed at the border between the humanities – especially archaeology – and the scientific approach to cultural heritage. As a consequence, its scientific foundations are a delicate matter. We plan to investigate here the quest…
Satellite-Aided Analysis of the Position of the Sun Temples and the Dynastic History of the Vth Egyptian Dynasty
The Sun Temples of the Vth dynasty are the most elusive Egyptian monuments of the Old Kingdom. Textual sources seem to refer to a different temple for each different pharaoh of the dynasty, but only two have been discovered at Abu Gurab, a few hundred meters north of the dynastic necropolis of Abusir. Previously, the author has proposed a cognitive–topographical framework that strongly supports the idea, originally formulated by Stadelmann, that …
Archaeoastronomy and the alleged 'Stonehenge calendar
In a recent Antiquity article, Darvill (2022) proposed that the mid third-millennium BC Stage 2 sarsen settings of Stonehenge (comprising the Trilithon Horseshoe, Sarsen Circle and the Station Stone Rectangle) were conceived in order to represent a calendar year of 365.25 days-that is, a calendar identical in duration to the Julian calendar. In the present article, the authors argue that this proposal is unsubstantiated, being based as it is on a…
The alleged phenological calendar in Palaeolithic art
In a recent paper an interpretation of non-figurative Upper Palaeolithic signs has been proposed in numerical-calendrical terms: when found in association with animals, signs are interpreted as denoting lunar months of a ‘phenological calendar’. The same authors propose the (relatively common) Y sign to be a marker of the birth period. The combination of the two notations should, therefore, furnish information on the seasonal behavior of the spec…
Going straight in a sacred landscape
The Hopewell culture built a series of geometric earthworks, among which the Newark Earthworks stand out as the most complex. It has long been suspected that a ceremonial, double-walled straight road connected Newark with the Hopewell Heartland, located in modern Chillicothe, 90 km southwest. In recent years, evidence for this Great Hopewell Road increased, as well as the awareness that the whole area was a sacred landscape; however, up to now, e…
The 1 April 2471 b.C. Eclipse and the End of the Fourth Egyptian Dynasty
On 1 April 2471 b.C., an impressive, unpredictable phenomenon occurred over the Delta of the Nile: a total solar eclipse, with the totality band almost centred on the sacred city of Buto, and the “capital” Memphis on the verge of the totality. This date is compatible with existing chronologies for the reign of Pharaoh Shepseskaf, who adopted a clamorous symbolic break with respect to the tradition of “solarized” kings started by Khufu. Indeed, hi…
Orion and the Scorpion
So-called catasterisms, the ascent of individuals to the heavens as constellations, form an important part of the Greek mythological lore of the sky. Originally described in a lost work by Eratosthenes, they repeatedly appear in both Greek and in Roman literature – e.g. in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. However, although there exist several works of ancient art depicting constellations, to date there are no known iconographic depictions of any of the corr…
Historical and Architectural Studies (20 works) · History (18 works) · Archaeology (17 works) · Historical Astronomy and Related Studies (16 works) · Ancient history (14 works) · Ancient Egypt and Archaeology (9 works) · Art (9 works) · Geography (8 works) · Geometry (8 works) · Mathematics (8 works)