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Hemispherical Sundial Italy, c. 50 A.D. Atwood Collection 4016 This Roman marble hemispherical sundial, believed to have been buried during the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 A.D., was designed to indicate temporal hours. Temporal hours divide each period of daylight and darkness into twelve equal parts. Therefore, the length of hours vary with the seasons. Temporal hours, which were in use in Egypt in the 16th century B.C., remained in common use until the 16th century A.D., nearly 3,200 years! Photo by Dirk Fletcher |
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