Spatial Modeling of the Folk Astronomical Knowledge among the Residents of Tajikistan

Abstract

The term “folk astronomical knowledge” refers to a set of practical knowledge that allows a person to navigate in space and time. An important point is the possibility of a total assessment of this knowledge not only at the level of an individual, but also at the level of a separate settlement or region. The authors developed a method for determining an indicator characterizing the level of folk astronomical knowledge, based on field materials collected in the Republic of Tajikistan in 2019–2023. The method was verified on a large sample (177 people were surveyed). The average values of the “coefficient of knowledge” (k) made it possible to assess the process of knowledge loss among informants of four age groups, as well as to compile maps reflecting the preservation of folk astronomical knowledge in the studied territories. The analysis of the maps makes it possible to propose a model describing the observed prevalence of this knowledge. Its maximum level is recorded along the Pamir Tract, in the zone of active information exchange, and the minimum is in isolated valleys. Based on the proposed model, high-quality predictions were made about the level of popular astronomical knowledge in areas that have not yet been surveyed.