At 15.18 26/06/97 -0700, you wrote:
>"Shadow boards are still used in Upper Egypt for measuring the time taken
>to perform tasks, or for timing the distribution of water for irrigation. A
>water clock is used to mark the movement of the shadow."
>
>(1) Regarding the first sentence, is this correct? Can anyone cite some
>other source of information on this practice today?
>(2) What does the second sentence mean?!
>
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Dear Woody,
I know that the Romans do so. There are many examples in classic
literature and archaeological findings that proove it. Many tasks of the
civic life was performed by sundials and clepsidras. The last of speech of
orators were measured with clepsidras, and the time for water distribution
was ruled by the hours of the day. The Romans use a slave to sing cimbals
or blow ito a trumpet to avvertize the times for everiting, especially for
lunch and dinner.
I can believe that Egyptians do the same.
Sincerely I can't understand what does the second sentence means, or
better, it sound strange. I don't know any ancient document that say this.
To me seems more natural to mark the time of a water clocks with sundials
than the contrary. As Bill Thayer write, they were seasonal hours, that
keep change along the year, and clepsidras can only measure equal hour.
They coul be modified probably in the same way that Roman legions do in
Britain: with wax inside. But it's not a very pratical thing.
Mario Arnaldi
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MARIO ARNALDI
Viale Leonardo, 82
48020 Lido Adriano RAVENNA
ITALY
E-Mail - [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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