Author(s): A. Pogo
Source: Isis, Vol. 25, No. 2 (Sep., 1936), pp. 403-425
Published by: The University of Chicago Press on behalf of The History of Science Society
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/225378 .
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i. Introduction.
A detailed treatment of Egyptian methods for measuring
time-by the flow of water or the apparent motions of the sun
and of the stars-will be found in L. BORCHARDT'S
(I) monumental
Altagyptische Zeitmessung; a good survey of the more important
problems is given in R. W. SLOLEY'S(z) papers on the same
subject. The present paper will be devoted to some of the
neglected aspects of the problems presented by Egyptian water
clocks.
z. Kircher.
" The theories of KIRCHERas to the content of the hieroglyphic
inscriptions exceed all bounds in their imaginative folly " (3);
(i) Die Geschichte der Zeitmessung und der Uhren, hrsg. von E. v. BASSERMANN-
JORDAN. Bd. I, Lieferung B; LUDWIG BORCHARDT, Die Altagyptische
Zeitmessung. Berlin, 1920.
(2) Ancient clepsydrae. Ancient Egypt, 43-50. London, 1924. Primitive
methods of measuring time, with special reference to Egypt. The J'ournal of
Egyptian Archaeology, 17, I66-78. London, I93I.
(3) ALAN H. GARDINER, Egyptian Grammar, p. xI. Oxford, 1927.
(I3) Ibid., p. I4I: " For the interpretation of this papyrus we are indebted
to Mr. J. G. SMYLY."
(14) Ibid., p. 145.
(IS) Altagyptische Zeitmessung, p. Io ss.
(I6) An Egyptian fingerbreadth is x8.75 umn.,about 3/4 in.
(17) Deux clepsydres antiques. Bulletin de l'Institut igyptien, 5e s6rie, 9,
5-I6, I915. Cairo, x9x6.
TABLE I
Calendars, water clocks, and ceiling decorations
A D D G F G I; A
,14 1
A
O ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
J C
X 1
FIG. I. - Graduation of the 1:2:3 type for a square prismatic inflow clock.
Enlarged five times, the diagram would fit the Edfu clock.
all four walls; additional vertical lines are then drawn through
the centers, C and K, and E and I, of the sides of the prism, and
form the 13 I/2 and the I2 I/2 scales, respectively; finally, the
distances AC and AK, and GE and. GI, are divided into thirds,
and the vertical lines B and L, and F and H, form the 13 5/6
and the I2 i/6 scales, respectively.
Here is another method for drawing the diagram of Figure i
A Dl G JA
D A
A
FIG. 2. - Graduation scheme of the cylindrical inflow clock from Edfu.
One-fifth of the size of the original.
of the front and back walls, respectively; the inclined lines form
" chevrons " on the front and back walls, and ordinary " stripes"
on the side walls.
TABLE II
The civil year and the seasons
IV X I
401 Dec. i Mar. 25 VII
V VIII xi II
28i Nov. i Mar. 25
VI IX XII III
157 Oct. I Mar. 24
VII X I IV
37 Sep. i Mar. 23
7. Cleomedes'duodecimalrule.
Our prismatic diagram reproduced in Figure i accounts not
only for the cylindrical diagram of the Edfu clock-it throws
new light on several passages of classical literature (I8) dealing
(I8) CLEOMEDES, KVKA&Ki OewpL'a /ereTEpWV, I, 6. The text of CLEOMEDES
is unusually clear and well preserved. Other references may be found in
G. BILFINGER, Die antiken Stundenangaben, p. 153, Stuttgart, I888.
A B C D P G H I J L A
FIG. 3.-- CLEOMEDES'duodecimal rule and the prismatic diagrams of the 1I:2:3 type.
(i 9) Loc. cit., I, 6.
le plus grand se trouve derriere l'animal, l'autre, plus petit, devant ses pieds;
un trou est perc6 de l'un dans l'autre de ces r6servoirs et un escalier de six gradins.
conduit sur le bord du demier. Ce petit monument nous offre peut-etre le modele
d'une clepsydre Egyptienne, analogue a celles que d6crit HORAPOLLON, Hierogl
I. i6."
47 |. ,- .-
It~~~~~~~~c
11~ 0
04
+
S,._;. ,:e.8..
llii ....
.................................................................... ,,.,. ..
V~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~V
11 1 U%
11 5>
* 11Ml. w d a ?C
|A| U_ . X m
g~~~~-~4.*
..
A;~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~C
9. Votive offerings.
We have dealt, in the preceding section, with a class of objects
which were, beyond any reasonable doubt, models of inflow clocks;
they were, in all probability, used as votive offerings. The objects
we are about to discuss were used as votive offerings-inscriptions
prove it; it is highly probable, but not quite certain, that they
were intended to represent inflow clocks.
The ib.t reproduced on Plate 4, bottom, is thus described
by the Metropolitan Museum (27):
" Figure of Cynocephalus. From Sakkara. Glazed faience. The figure is
represented as a squatting mummy on the heb festival sign. There is a pillar
behind, which is broken off at the top. Glaze, very thin, pale blue. Execution
exquisite. Perhaps a votive offering."
o0 v t r hm
to ~ O~
to ig >1 T?4'
TABLE III
Decanologues of the XVIIIth, XIXth, and XXth dynasties
17 16 1i 14 13 12 11 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 S c
(12)(11) 10 9 8 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 1
12 11 10 9 8 7 6 6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 R
t12) 11 10 9 8 7 6 .6 5 5 4 4 3 3 2 2 1 Y )
**
29 26 24 28 - 23 27 22 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 13 8
25
29 26 (24 28 - 23 27 22 22 21 20 19 18 17 16 15 1 13 IC
28 25 24 27 26 - 23 22 22 (21) 20 19 18 17 16 15 14 (13) R
24? 23 22 22 18 16 15 14 13 IV
i i. Acknowledgments.
I hereby express my thanks to the following men and museums:
To Dr. W. D. VAN WIJNGAARDEN, for written information
concerning the Leiden model reproduced in Figure 4.
To the Metropolitan Museum of Art, for the photographs
reproduced on Plate 4. The MASPERO model is a hitherto