ObjID174-1
‹ Ancient Sundials
Dialface ID 173
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Abstract
A simple engraved design decorates the oblique front surface. Below the design, a rolled scroll molding fills the angle between the simple base and the oblique front.
Measurements
Measurement record: pipeline ObjID 174, matched to this dialface by inventory number.
| Quality grade | B (completeness 100 %) |
|---|---|
| Dial surface | cone (decisive) · fit residual mm: cone 0.72, cylinder 3.92, sphere 5.17 |
| Latitude φ | 48.61 ± 4.01° (consensus of witnesses) |
| Klima | Borysthenes (VII), Mid-Pontus (VI), Massalia |
| Engraved lines | 11 hour lines, 3 day lines |
| Cone half-angle α | 25.2 ± 0.21° (cone residual on all points 0.76 mm) |
| Measured | 2026-06-12 20:30 |
What the dial shows at this latitude
| Winter solstice | Equinox | Summer solstice | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Noon altitude of the Sun | 17.7° | 41.4° | 65.1° |
| Noon shadow (gnomon heights) | 3.14 | 1.14 | 0.46 |
| Length of the day | 8.0 h | 12.0 h | 16.0 h |
| Length of a seasonal hour | 40 min | 60 min | 80 min |
Computed for the measured latitude with the obliquity of the JPL ephemeris at 101 BC (year -100). The latitude is the one the dial was made for, not a find-spot coordinate.
References
- – Ardaillon, Édouard, Horologium, Paris, 1877-1919, p. 259, figure 3885 (drawing).
- – Bilfinger, Gustav, Die Zeitmesser der antiken Völker, Stuttgart, 1886, p. 27, figure 2 (drawing).
- – Deonna, Waldemar, Ex-voto déliens, 1932, p. 470.
- – Gibbs, Sharon L., Greek and Roman Sundials, New Haven and London, 1976, p. 293, p. 305, plate 47.
- – Severino, Nicola, De Monumentis Gnomonicis apud graecos et romanos. Le meridiane greco-romane. La storia, il catalogo, gli articoli, Roccasecca, 2003, p. 21.
- – Winter, Eva, Zeitzeichen. Zur Entwicklung und Verwendung antiker Zeitmesser, Berlin and Boston, 2013, p. 497f.
- – Bonnin, Jérôme, La Mesure du temps dans l'Antiquité, Paris, 2015, A 107.
3D Models
