ANCIENT TIMEPIECES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 74, 15 May 1946, Page 2

ANCIENT TIMEPIECES

MANY QUAINT DEVICES

THE PASSING OF THE HOURS Because we have come to make such frequent use of them, clocks are nowadays generally regarded as the only means of discovering the time of day. Yet people were “telling the time” thousands of years before the first clockmaker was born. As far back as three thousand years ago the ancient Egyptians used an instrument called a clepsydra. It looked something like a large flower pot, with a small hole in it. Twelve equal divisions were marked on the inside, and the outside was something covered with hieroglyphics, the picture-writing of that time. The vessel was filled with water, which was allowed to escape through the hole in the side. Knowing how long it took to empty, all the Egyptian had to do was to look at the waterlevel and compare it with the marking on the side.

A very primitive but interesting method was used in the early days of Rome by the Britons of the Bronze Age, and later by the Icelanders. They fixed on two landmarks on the horizon, and divided the distance between them into an equal number of parts. As the sun passed over each mark in turn the watchers were able to make a rough guess at the time.

A hempen wick about two feet long, and knotted at equal intervals, provided the Chinese and Japanese with a means of telling the time some centuries ago. The wick underwent a special processing so that, when it was lighted, it smouldered but did not burst into flame. As it burned slowly it was possible to find 'the time of day by counting the number of knots not yet burned. Every New Zealand schoolboy and schoolgirl has heard the story of Alfred and the cakes, but the one about this famous king and his wax candles, not so well known.

It is believed that he had a number of candles made, each twelve inches long, and marked at inch intervals. They were supposed to burn for four hours each, so that one inch on the candles represented a time distance of twenty minutes. When the king found that the time taken to burn varied according to the amount of draught in the room he made a number of lanterns out of horn so thin that it was transparent. The candles were put in these, and apparently all was well. It is hardly likely that this story is based on fact, however, as water clocks were definitely in use in Britain at that time, and it seems improbable that this very wise king would use a less reliable method. The scratch-dial’ was the earliest form of dial used in Great Britain. It was not in any way accurate, but it had a definite' purpose. When the shadow was in a certain position the people knew it was nine o’clock —time for them to go to church.

The sun-dial with which most of us are acquainted was not introduced until later. It “marks the time by the shadow of its gnomon or style, which falls on the face of the dial when exposed to the rays of the &un.” Normally it has no value after sunset, but there is one in Great Britain which can be. used at night time. Around the dial there ‘is a series of numbers, and, provided that the age of the moon is known, it can be used as a moon-dial.

Until a few years ago all British churches were supplied with a sandglass. This was worked in the same way as the common egg-timer. When the clergyman began his sermon he turned the clepsammia, as it was called, and as soon , as the sand had filtered through into the lower bulb he knew it was time to draw his sermon to a close. Even today these sand-glasses are used in the Uousd of Commons to measure certain time intervals.