Posted on 11/09/2017 6:27:23 AM PST by Red Badger
One Marcus Novius Tubula apparently ordered the sundial to mark his noble appointment as tribune of Rome itself, say archaeologists after finding it in ancient town of Interamna Lirenas
One day around 2,000 years ago, a Roman named Marcus Novius Tubula ordered an elaborate sundial, University of Cambridge researchers report after finding it intact two millennia later during excavation in the Roman town of Interamna Lirenas, near Monte Cassino, in Italy.
Carved in limestone and 54 centimeters in width, the sundial's concave face was engraved with 11 hour lines intersecting three day curves. Thus the device could give indicate the season: the winter solstice, equinox and summer solstice, the archaeologists say. Its gnomon (pointer) was mostly gone, but a bit of it survived under lead fixing.
The sundial is one of less than 100 of its type that have survived, say archaeologists.
Its even rarer inscription, in Latin, tells us about the man who commissioned it, say researchers from the University of Cambridge.
The Tubula sundial, in situ Faculty of Classics, Cambridge University
Conveniently for history buffs, the official had his name and status engraved on the sundial's base. Marcus Novius Tubula noted that he was the son (filius) of another Marcus. His office, the sundial states, was Plebeian Tribune (Tribunus plebis). It even states that he paid for it with his own money.
Given that Tubula went to the trouble to inscribe the sundial with his avowal that he had paid for it, it implies a gift for the benefit of others, Cambridge University archaeologist Alessandro Launaro told Haaretz: Tubula was stating that he hadn't had it made using public resources to which he had access by virtue of his office.
(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...
Who went out to turn it for daylight savings time?
LOL...I guess people who need to have a Tesla would also be buying stuff like that. But very cool looking, regardless.
$119.00
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Condition: New
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The house slave of course!...............
There is a photo somewhere of a similar one pulled from the rubble dumped by the Palestinians as they continue to destroy what is left of the Second Temple in Jerusalem.
Islam - Religion of pieces........................
LOL!
I a million years, I would not have thought that this was a real product.
That is too nuts!
I’m sure it’s a traditional watch only with sundial-like components for hands. Pretty sure, anyway. :)
That one and other versions are on ebay! That’s funny...I had no idea either.
This is old news to an old timer like me.
But Fred Flintstone had one millions of years AGO.
They had nice ones for fancy dress too!
All that squinting finally had a solution. The Sumerians and Old Kingdom Egyptians had pez nez with prescription ground optics.
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