The water clock of the Bronze Age (Northern Black Sea Coast)

TL;DR

This study reveals that a Bronze Age vessel from the Northern Black Sea Coast is the oldest known water clock in Europe, combining archaeological, physical, and astronomical evidence to demonstrate its use for time measurement and astronomical observations.

Contribution

It provides the first multidisciplinary analysis proving the vessel as an ancient water clock and links it to astronomical phenomena like Sirius' heliacal rising.

Findings

Vessel is the oldest water clock in Europe.

Marks on the vessel relate to Sirius' heliacal rising.

The vessel was used for time measurement and astronomical observations.

Abstract

In the article presents the results of the multidisciplinary study conducted with the help of archaeological, physical and astronomical methods. The aim of the study was to analyze and interpret marks and drawings applied to the surface of the vessel of the Bronze Age (Srubna culture) found near the Staropetrovsky village (Donetsk region, Ukraine) near the border between the Donetsk and Lugansk regions. The carried out calculations and measurements possible to prove that staropetrovsky vessel is the most ancient water clock, discovered on the territory of Europe, and have approximately the same age as the oldest known ancient Egyptian water clock. Such vessels - water clocks were needed for Srubna population to mark sundial, which had recently been discovered in the Northern Black Sea Coast. Based on the analysis of marks on the outside of the vessel, it was revealed that Staropetrovsky vessel is unique ancient complex device for measuring time and at the same time using a water clock, and with the help of a sundial, allows to monitor of the uneven apparent motion of the Sun long before the existing written evidence about such monitoring. Series of marks on the outer surface of the vessel and on its corolla was associated with the star Sirius and its heliacal rising. Given in this paper the results of astronomical calculations allow to state that astronomical beginning of the year recorded since the heliacal rising of Sirius at the Srubna population of the Northern Black Sea Coast. Keywords: archaeoastronomy, modeling, Srubna culture, vessel, marks, water clock, sundial, equation of time, Sirius, heliacal rising.