World's oldest telescope? [ Assyrian telescope? ]

BBC ^ | Thursday, July 1, 1999 | Dr David Whitehouse

[SunkenCiv]

According to Professor Giovanni Pettinato of the University of Rome, a rock crystal lens, currently on show in the British museum, could rewrite the history of science. He believes that it could explain why the ancient Assyrians knew so much about astronomy. It is a theory many scientists might be prepared to accept, but the idea that the rock crystal was part of a telescope is something else. To get from a lens to a telescope, they say, is an enormous leap. Professor Pettinato counters by asking for an explanation of how the ancient Assyrians regarded the planet Saturn as a god surrounded by a ring of serpents?

[SunkenCiv]

This is an old article, 1999. I've posted it a few times in related topics, but it seems like a good one to have a topic of its own.

Is this the oldest telescope lens in the world?

[SunkenCiv]

:')

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[SunkenCiv]

The article is from 1999, but I was unable to find any instance of a topic based on it, merely my own postings of it in related topics.

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[RightWhale]

Afghanistan was once a scientific and cultural capital of the planet. It was Persian territory at the time. They had astronomical instruments of all kinds, perhaps even a telescope, who knows.

[indcons]

“Afghanistan was once a scientific and cultural capital of the planet. It was Persian territory at the time.”

At times, it was Persian territory. However, the Persian influence came much later - well after Persia and Afghanistan had been converted to Islam. For the vast majority of its ancient history, Afghanistan was Hindu and Buddhist.

In terms of influences, the ancient Hindus, Buddhists, and Greeks (Selucid dynasties) played the major role in shaping Afghan culture and civilization.

[indcons]

Looks like a magnifying glass used to start fire.

[Turret Gunner A20]

From the article: And why is it in their many astronomical reports on clay tablets there is no mention of such a device? Maybe because It's kind small -- particularly as compared to the Pyramids -- and, as I seem to remember, they aren't mentioned in the Bible -- or anywhere in existing ancient Egyptian documents, either.

[ken21]

i thought i saw that on the old star trek tv series in the 1960s.

/s

[Cvengr]

OTOH, maybe it was from an Assyrian corner kitsch shop, Aisle 3, fifth shelf, right next to the Egyptian pug...

[RightWhale]

Sure. It ought to be noted that the Persian religion was intensively astronomical, although it was for astrological purposes. They had all kinds of astronomical instruments the better to measure the locations of the planets. They had dual capitals: Tehran and Kabul and their best observatory was in Afghanistan.

[RightWhale]

Some ancient artisans were very skilled working crystal. With pieces left over after major works they might make various objects including lenses. You can make a telescope from two lenses and a stick, don’t need all that tube and equatorial mount, etc.

[martin_fierro]

L O L

*breathe*

L O L

[SunkenCiv]

Well, the Original Cast did do a lot of time travel... and this lens looks a lot like that cracked one Kirk sold in 20th century San Francisco...

[SunkenCiv]

:’) Good point.

[SunkenCiv]

The Assyrian Nimrud lens would be around 9th century BC, a while before the Assyrians exiled the Israelite tribes, some of whome wound up in Central Asia.

[RightWhale]

Somewhere along the line a science of optics developed in that region, before Galileo, Newton, etc., way before. The Greek ship-burning lenses were likely a story out of the ME.

[Old Student]

“Looks like a magnifying glass used to start fire.”

Two of them, spaced apart, ARE a telescope. Helps if you put them in some sort of tube, but it ain’t that difficult.

[blam]

"Some ancient artisans were very skilled working crystal."

The largest single piece of quartz/crystal in the world is displayed at the entrance to Arlington National Cemetery. (Just FYI)

[Daffynition]

[Mumbles]

Afghanistan, cultural capital? Beats the heck out of me, I wasn’t there.