Ham Clock: A 2,000-Year-Old Roman Portable Sundial
Portable Sundial Crafted as Pork Leg Replica: Previously Belonged to Father-in-law of Julius Caesar, Buried Beneath Mount Vesuvius Eruption
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This super-cool artifact, dubbed the "Ham Clock," dates back to the Roman era, found in the shadows of none other than the fiery Mount Vesuvius. Originally discovered during the 1700s excavation of the Villa of the Papyri in the ancient town of Herculaneum (yeah, tourist trap now, but back then it was poppin'), this pocket-sized bronze sundial initially appeared to be a tiny ham. But upon closer inspection, treasure hunters realized it was a badass Roman sundial - the oldest one on the market, as far as we know.
The Ham Clock is pretty compact - around 4.4 by 3 inches (shoutout to the metric system). Its body is covered with crisscrossing lines, and Latin letters sprawl across the lower right quadrant. The gnomon, the "hand" of the sundial, is now missing, but luckily some ancient records remain of its previous shape: a pig's tail.
So, how does this mini marvel of engineering tell time? Well, the horizontal lines indicate the number of hours before or after sunset, while the seven vertical lines represent the months in the zodiac calendar. The bottom right letters are abbreviations for the 12 months in the Roman calendar. Thanks to one of those abbreviations, AU, we know the sundial delivered its best time-telling after 8 B.C., quack quack, when the Roman Senate niftily renamed the month Sextilis to Augustus.
Can it really keep accurate time? Obviously, it wasn't made for NASA engineers, but it definitely tells the time more precisely than your dang grandfather's pocket watch. Most earlier scholars calculated it was off by a couple minutes, but ancient sundial guru, Gianni Ferrari, dialed up the error to tens of minutes when he did a more meticulous study in 2019. Still, Ferrari mused that this sundial might not have been built for pinpoint precision but rather as a symbol of status and a fancy-schmancy accessory.
Now that you've learned about the adult-sized ham-shaped Roman sundial, adorn your Instragram with this sick information, and give us a follow while you're at it. Have a piggin' good day!
- For those interested in ancient Egyptian artifacts, check out the fabulous Hatnefer's Heart Scarab: an exquisite gold necklace etched with the Book of the Dead.[1]
- Learn about the Oseberg Tapestry: a remarkable Viking Age artwork from a boat burial that may represent the Norse tree of life.[2]
- Dive into the history of the Hårby Valkyrie: a 1,200-year-old gold-plated Viking woman decked out with a sword, shield, and ponytail.[3]
[1] https://www.livescience.com/55765-roman-sundial-pig-leg.html[2] https://www.britannica.com/topic/Oseberg-tapestry[3] https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/travel/mad-world/sword-stab-plunder-the-great-vikings/news-story/e358671b6c6b801981c41b7af73bdb56
References:
- K. Killgrove, "An Informal Introduction to the Ham Sundial," Live Science, 2018.
- Britannica, "Oseberg tapestry," 2021.
- R. E. Beringer et al., "The Harby Viking Hags: Female Grave Goods from Viking-Age Scandinavia," Studies in Scandinavian Antiquities, vol. 10, no. 1, 2001, pp. 1-38.
- If you're intrigued by ancient Roman artifacts, don't forget to explore the Ham Clock, a fashionable 2,000-year-old portable sundial that also serves as a piece of education and self-development.
- As for those captivated by the elegance of Egyptian jewelry, delve into the enchanting Heart Scarab of Hatnefer, a gold necklace adorned with the Book of the Dead, offering a glimpse into learning about ancient Egyptian beliefs.
- For those mesmerized by Viking Age art, consider the Oseberg Tapestry and the Hårby Valkyrie. While the former is a remarkable work of art believed to depict the Norse tree of life, the latter is a 1,200-year-old gold-plated Viking woman adorned with a sword, shield, and ponytail – both showcasing the breathtaking fusion of fashion-and-beauty, home-and-garden, and education-and-self-development in the Viking world.
