•millennia,•milestone,align,meridian,accuracy,precise,hieroglyphs Humans have been fascinated by the concept of time for millennia. 1. ………………………………… . The Egyptians were some of the first people to divide daytime and nighttime stages into smaller units. Long before wristwatches and alarm clocks, they invented a tool known as a "merkhet", meaning "instrument of knowing", which was an important milestone in our quest to understand and measure the passage of time.
The design of the merkhet was rather simple. 2. ………………………………………………….. . A piece of rope or string with a small weight, called a plumb bob, was attached to its end. In order to use the tool effectively, two people with a comprehensive knowledge of astronomy had to stand one opposite the other at a distance of two or three metres. Each one held a merkhet. The first person held the merkhet at arm's length so that the plumb bob would hang vertically, and aligned it with the North Star. The second person sat between the first person and the North Star holding their merkhet in such a way so that it was aligned to the first person's merkhet. The space between them would create a perfect line running from north to south: a meridian. 3. ………………………… . By studying the angle of the crossings and the intervals between the stars' rising and setting, they were able to calculate the time of the night. In essence, the stars' rotation around the North Star functioned in the same way that an hour hand rotates around the centre of a modern-day clock.
The importance of the merkhet can only be properly appreciated in the context of the era in which it was invented. 4. ……………………………………………… . The use of sundials had proved reasonably effective during the daylight, but naturally these were rendered useless after nightfall. Water clocks - or clepsydrae - were used to some extent, but lacked the desired precision. The merkhet was a huge leap forward as it allowed people to measure time with pinpoint accuracy without the use of the sun.
What's more, the merkhet proved to be useful in more than just astronomy and timekeeping. The accuracy of the instrument and its ability to measure straight lines, both vertically and horizontally, meant that it served a similar purpose to a modern-day spirit level. 5. ………………………… .
Ancient Egyptians used symbols and pictures called hieroglyphs to record their history. Since their society predated written history as we understand it, it has been difficult for historians to acquire accurate information regarding that time period. 6. ………………………………………………. . In the temples of Dendera and Edfu it is still possible to see wall carvings which depict it in use. Not only that, there is even an authentic merkhet on permanent display in the Science Museum in London. It is said to date back as far as 600 BC!
