New vocabulary
What is millennia?
This word means thousands of years.
In which ancient civilisation was the merkhet invented?
Ancient Egypt.
Q: What weighted object hung from the merkhet?
A: A plumb bob.
Q: How were sundials affected after nightfall?
They became useless.itecture
What is depict?
This word means to show or represent something in pictures.
What writing system did the Egyptians use to record history?
Hieroglyphs.
Q: What north–south line did two merkhets help create?
A: A meridian.
Q: The merkhet allowed people to measure time without using what?
A: The sun.
What is align?
This verb means to put things in a straight line
Which two early tools were used to measure time before the merkhet?
Sundials and water clocks (clepsydrae).
Q: What did Egyptians study to calculate the time at night?
A: The crossings of the stars.
Q: Which modern tool does the merkhet function similarly to?
A: A spirit level.
milestone
This word means a significant achievement or important step forward.
Q: Which star did Egyptians use to align the merkhet?
A: The North Star (Polaris).
Q: The stars’ rotation around the North Star was similar to which part of a modern clock?
A: The hour hand.
Q: What quality of measurement might have been needed to build the pyramids?
A: Precision.
What is pinpoint?
This verb means to identify or locate something exactly.
Q: Around what year does the authentic merkhet in the Science Museum date back to?
A: Around 600 BC.
Q: What knowledge did people need in order to use the merkhet correctly?
A: Knowledge of astronomy.
Q: Why is it hard for historians to get accurate information about early Egyptian society?
A: Because it predated written history.