Gabbro
circa 200 BCE
Egypt
The British Museum
Details
Culture/Civilisation
Ptolemaic (Greek-ruled) Egypt
Theme
The Great River Civilisations outside India: Mesopotamia, Egypt and China
Subtheme
Ancient Egypt – the Land of the Nile
Case Title
Egypt: this life and beyond
Display Location
Coomaraswamy Hall
Findspot
Egypt
Measurements
7.3 x 3.9 x 3.6 cm
Accession Number
EA74841
Description
How do priests know when to perform daily temple rituals?
The question was as important in ancient societies as today. This is part of a sundial. Following the movement of the sun, its shadow would indicate the time of day, and thus the appropriate moment for ceremonies. The falcon-headed sun-God Ra dominates the front, which faced the morning sun. Beside him, vertical hieroglyphs read ‘Ra-Horakhti, who illuminates the Two Lands (= Upper and Lower Egypt) as he rises.’ The horizontal text names the owner ‘Amasis… the priest, the keeper of (temple) clothing.’
