Sundial Research Paper

Another one of the most important technological advancements in history would have to be the sundial. The sundial was invented by ancient Egyptians in 1500 BC. Sundials are the oldest known device for the measurement of time and the most ancient of scientific instruments. The sundial uses the sun to tell the time of the day by casting a shadow on the sundial. The idea of the sundial is based upon the fact that the shadow of an object will move from one side of the object to the other as the sun moves from east to west during each day. The sundial provides the earliest evidence of the division of the day into equal parts. Before the division of day and night into twenty-four equal hours became accepted practice in cultures. The number of hours
that was used was the concept that an hour in the summer lasted longer than an hour in the winter because the daylight period itself was longer. One of the reasons why sundials are so important is because it is one of the first known instruments for the measurement of time.
It was also used in later cultures as a status symbol, such as ancient Greece and Rome where donors would get their names inscribed on the instruments to show their wealth. The reasons I think that the sundial is one the most important scientific developments is because of the broad usage of it in later cultures after Egypt. The sundial is still used today as an instrument to keep record of time. One of the key reasons that makes the sundial important to me is this was the first known scientific instrument. That to me makes it the most important invention of the time do the fact that it sparked an interest in the keeping of time and is the start to modern day clocks. This also may be the start to the invention of other scientific instruments, which is a huge impact in the field of science and may have led to the invention of many other great devices. I believe that the Egyptians are the leaders of keeping time as well as innovation in the field of science. In conclusion the sundial is a great invention and is one of the few early inventions that is still used today and that shows how great the ingenuity of the Egyptians
was.

http://www.123rf.com/photo_5940489_spain-tarragona-ancient-sundial-on-a-stone-platform.html Date of access: 4/21/12
Works Cited: http://www.squidoo.com/sundial?utm_source=google&utm_medium=imgres&utm_campaign=framebuster http://www.accuratesundials.com/site/591582/page/143772
http://www.britannica.com/clockworks/t_sundial.html