Aldo Micieli
PhD Student
Research Interests: Medieval to early modern art and visual culture | Mary Magdalen | Landscape and environment | Workshop practice | Gender and patronage | Exhibition history
Year PhD started: 2015
Aldo.Micieli@postgrad.sas.ac.uk
aldomiceli@icloud.com
Thesis
A Comparative Analysis of Comet Descriptions in Medieval Arabic Astronomical and Historical Treatises
In this research, I examine the comet descriptions found in Arabic books authored by historians and astronomers during the medieval Islamic civilization. A multidimensional approach is employed to investigate their understanding of comets from various perspectives. The analysis focuses on the astronomical, meteorological, and astrological interpretations of comets, including their association with omens and prognostication. The study aims to identify the scholars who attributed negative connotations to comets and those who deviated from Aristotelian views. Through this examination, a comprehensive understanding of the diverse viewpoints and beliefs surrounding comets in medieval Arabic astronomical and historical texts is sought.
Supervisors: Guido Giglioni / Alastair Hamilton