Purpose and history

The European Society for Astronomy in Culture (SEAC) is a professional association of scientists working in fields such as astronomy in culture, anthropology, archaeoastronomy, ethnoastronomy, history of astronomy, mythology, spatial archaeology or cosmology.

SEAC has no physical seat. The Executive Committee (EC) represents the society. The society was founded in Strasbourg (France) in 1992, under the inspiration of the late Professor Carlos Jaschek, and had its inaugural meeting in Smolyan (Bulgaria) in the summer of 1993.

Today, SEAC is an organization of about 90 members from 25 countries. Although the nucleus of members is composed of European scientists, researchers from other continents are welcome to join the society and participate actively in it.

SEAC was the first professional association of archaeoastronomers. It is worth saying that the experience in dealing with different scientific traditions of methodological procedures and theoretical positions allowed SEAC to inspire the creation of the International Society for Archaeoastronomy and Astronomy in Culture (ISAAC) in the US and to take active part in the creation on the Latin American Society of Cultural Astronomy (SIAC).

A series of annual meetings promote contacts among members, and the edition and publication of proceedings has become a well established medium of scientific exchange.

SEAC's aim is to promote the interdisciplinary study of astronomical practise in its cultural context as a topic of considerable importance within the general study of human societies and their relationship to their environment.