Objective
What image came to mind when the Ancients observed the heavens? The 36 non-zodiacal constellations that animate the sky have been interpreted differently across cultures. Where Greeks and Romans saw a bear in the seven stars of Ursa Major, Canadian indigenous peoples recognized a caribou and the Babylonians a wagon. Our understanding of ancient constellations has long relied primarily on astrological and astronomical literature. Today, ancient astral science continues to be studied mainly through written sources, with limited attention to visual dimension and to the interplay between text and images. However, images have played a crucial role in the transmission of astral knowledge.
IMAGO aims to reconstruct, for the first time, the visual history of each constellation diachronically, from Mesopotamia to Rome through Greece, drawing on images depicted on a wide range of materials, like ceramics, coins, paintings, reliefs. The project will first establish precise criteria for identifying images of catasterisms (the mythological transformation of humans or objects into stars) and second, it will investigate the dynamic relationship between images and literary sources, like the Aratean tradition inspired by the Phaenomena of the Greek poet Aratus (3rd c. BCE). This intervisual framework will shed new light on the development of ancient constellation imagery, its entanglement with astronomy in a cross-cultural perspective of knowledge transfers.
The project will lead to the creation of an updated mapping and iconography of the 36 non-zodiacal constellations on Stellarium, an open-source software providing precise historical reconstructions of stars. The implementation of IMAGO will allow for the first time users to trace the transformation over time of constellations’ images associated with the corresponding mythological descriptions. This digital tool will serve researchers and the public in rethinking how ancient societies saw, shaped, and narrated the stars.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- natural sciences computer and information sciences software
- humanities arts visual arts
- humanities history and archaeology history ancient history
- natural sciences physical sciences astronomy
- engineering and technology materials engineering ceramics
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC - HORIZON ERC Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2026-STG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1700 Fribourg
Switzerland
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.