An ancient Skiri Pawnee star map on elk skin reopens the debate about its true function and challenges Western interpretations.

The Vault is Slate’s history blog. Like us on Facebook, follow us on Twitter @slatevault, and find us on Tumblr. Find out more about what this space is all about here. These star charts were part of a ...

A new virtual reality app lets users explore the solar system up close, from scorching-hot Mercury to faraway Pluto and beyond. Take a look at some views from the Star Chart program here. A close-up ...

The Pawnee Star Chart is a series of crosses sprinkled around an oval piece of elk skin. Likely made in the early 17th century by the Skiri (also called the Skidi) band of the Pawnee Nation, the chart ...

Ancient Chinese astronomer Shi Shen’s star catalog, known as The Star Manual of Master Shi, is now considered the oldest star chart in the world. Later observations written into the catalog showed ...