Questions and Answers
What was the purpose of the merkhet?
To tell time at night using the stars
What was a major disadvantage of the sundial as a timekeeper?
Uselessness at night
Which ancient civilization is widely regarded as one of the first to divide the day into equal parts?
Ancient Egyptians
What were the timekeeping devices used by the ancient Egyptians?
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What was the purpose of the shadow clock used by the ancient Egyptians?
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Ancient Egyptians, who have always been recognised for their skill in mathematics, architecture and astronomy, are ______.
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12 hours of the day and 12 hours of the night. They accomplished this using timekeeping devices like the sundial and shadow ______, both of which relied on the Sun, and the merkhet, the oldest known astronomical tool.
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The purpose of the merkhet, which has also been called a 'star clock', was to tell the time at night using the ______, the alignments of which ancient astronomers had long been tracking.
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The invention of the merkhet marked a significant improvement in timekeeping because even though it was not as quick or simple to use, it overcame a major disadvantage of the sundial as a timekeeper, namely its ______ at night.
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Shaped like the letter 'L' and typically ______
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