Several of the mosaics mentioned in this discussion show the dial
perched atop a pillar. In most cases they appear to be a little higher
that head height. Is this an illusion arising from lack of perspective
or differences of scale in different parts of the mosaics? Perhaps they
intended as representations of large monumental dials that could be read
from a distance? Or, is it how ordinary sized dials were actually
installed? If so, what is the reason? Nowadays, most dials (except
verticals) that I've encountered are placed low enough that most people
are looking downwards at them to read the time.
Cheers,
Steve
49°13'16.3"N 123°07'08.9"W
On 2016-04-25 9:04 AM, Schechner, Sara wrote:
These are all really wonderful, Rob. Thanks so much for drawing our attention
to them. And thanks to you, Lorenzo, for your remarks.
Sara J. Schechner
Altazimuth Arts
42°36'N 71° 22'W
West Newton, MA 02465
http://www.altazimutharts.com/
Sara J. Schechner, Ph.D.
David P. Wheatland Curator of the Collection of Historical Scientific
Instruments
Lecturer on the History of Science
Department of the History of Science, Harvard University
Science Center 251c, 1 Oxford Street, Cambridge, MA 02138
Tel: 617-496-9542 | Fax: 617-496-5932
sche...@fas.harvard.edu |@SaraSchechner
http://scholar.harvard.edu/saraschechner
http://chsi.harvard.edu/
-----Original Message-----
From: History of Astronomy Discussion Group [mailto:hastr...@listserv.wvu.edu]
On Behalf Of Gent, R.H. van (Rob)
Sent: Monday, April 25, 2016 5:40 AM
To: hastr...@listserv.wvu.edu
Subject: Re: [HASTRO-L] Mosaic with sundial on a pillar
Hi Lorenzo,
Thanks for your insightful comments.
You can find better images of the Antioch (Antakya) mosaic here
http://www.uskinfo.ba/m/vijest/foto-pronaden-mozaik-s-porukom-budi-veseo-zivi-zivot-iz-3-stoljeca-prije-nove-ere/22031
A better image of the other sundial mosaic found in Daphne (Harbiye), also near
Antioch, can be found here
http://www.hatayarkeolojimuzesi.gov.tr/HatayMuzeWeb/faces/jsp/layouts/inventoryCollectionDetail.jsp?inventoryid=3762
For accessing the complete high-resolution image, save the website (complete)
and look in the folder saved with the html file.
The Hatay Archaeology Museum in Antakya has a website
http://www.hatayarkeolojimuzesi.gov.tr/HatayMuzeWeb/flash/main_EN.html
which gives digital access to numerous other interesting mosaics
http://www.hatayarkeolojimuzesi.gov.tr/HatayMuzeWeb/faces/jsp/layouts/search.jsp?Lang=en
The sundial mosaic is nr. 865.
Also of interest is nr. 949a-950 with a panel illustrating the story of Perseus
and Andromeda.
More mosaics with a sundial on a pillar are here
http://michel.lalos.free.fr/cadrans_solaires/autres_pays/royaume_uni/cs_ile_de_wight.html
and here
http://www.electrummagazine.com/2011/11/platos-circle-in-the-mosaic-of-pompeii/
rvg
-----Original Message-----
From: History of Astronomy Discussion Group [mailto:hastr...@listserv.wvu.edu]
On Behalf Of Lorenzo Smerillo
Sent: maandag 25 april 2016 10:44
To: hastr...@listserv.wvu.edu
Subject: Re: [HASTRO-L] Mosaic with sundial on a pillar
Rob,
The dot enclosing a circle is very important as the MSS evidence (v.
Neugebauer and van Hoesen) is always of a circle with a little 'pointed cap'
attached. I am not certain that the iconographic convention of mosaicists and
astronomical writers need be the same, nor if there is other papyrical or
inscriptional evidence for either, both of which are perfectly legible and
understandable in se. The usual convention was to write out (Elios or Sol. But
a representation of a man looking at a sundial would representationally take
more naturally a pictograph of Sol, and a circle enclosing a dot does that
nicely.
I think that the 'little cap' is actually a borrowing from the usual iconographic
representations ( as on the parapegmata from the Thermae Trainai, Dura Europus, the
Rheinisches Landesmuseum mould, the Arlon hebdomadal, &c.) of SOL as a head
with three or four radii, using only one, for, perhaps, scribal convenience.
The inscription on
http://www.gettyimages.nl/detail/foto/mosaic-depicting-man-looking-at-sundial-from-ancient-stockfotos/98953317
enatEparE / lasen ~ e(i)natE parElasen
I would translate as 'it has reached the ninth(hour)' .
Newspapers, and Turkish newspapers in particular, have some difficulty with AD
and BC dates, as 1.) they are translating sloppily and 2.) they are essentially
ephemeral in their scope. So the dates of the Graeco-Roman mosaics are not BC
as you point out!
feliciter.
Lorenzo Smerillo
Department of Classics and Humanities
Montclair State University
Montclair, NJ 07043
On 23 April 2016 at 11:15, Gent, R.H. van (Rob) <r.h.vang...@uu.nl> wrote:
Hi,
The following news items on some recently discovered mosaics in Turkey
may be of interest to the list.
http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/be-cheerful-live-your-life-ancient-mo
saic-meme-found-in-turkeys-south.aspx?PageID=238&NID=98201&NewsCatID=3
75
http://www.dailysabah.com/nation/2016/04/22/2400-year-old-mosaic-found
-in-southern-turkey-says-be-cheerful-enjoy-your-life
Although the mosaics are probably later than claimed in these popular
press reports, the most interesting part of these mosaics (the middle
one) depicts what appears to be a hemispherical sundial on a pillar.
Note that the Sun is indicated above the sundial as a circled dot.
For a similar mosaic with a sundial (also found in Turkey), see
http://www.gettyimages.nl/detail/foto/mosaic-depicting-man-looking-at-
sundial-from-ancient-stockfotos/98953317
rvg
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