Egyptian Tomb Mystery: may be World's 1st Protractor (what do you think it is or for?)

I think it's simply some basic scale or cerimonial scale?

Its certainly a fascinating piece of equipment, but it doesn't have to be a tool, it could be anything that Kha particularly liked such as a musical instrument etc.

What bothers me about using it with the circular piece on top is that you have holes cut into it that would be useless lying against a level - so why the holes. If they are for water to be placed inside then why so many holes, one would suffice. It also does not look to me as though the 'bottom' of the artefact is level so I wonder if it could be used accurately.

It could, were it a measure of some kind be used on its side or a bit like the Celtic Cross was used to measure the stars. I would come down on it being some ind of instrument used to align edges and buildings to the astronomical alignments that meant so much to the Eqyptians. Today we are out of their world totally because we have working clocks and watches and don't live our lives on the principle of as above, so below. Its hard.
for us to imagine their world where ritual and observance ruled the day.

I'd like to make a comment on Kha himself. Is it only me who can see a clearly defined waistline that is obviously unlikely to be male especially when taking into account the outline of two breasts. Man boobs? Also if you look at the length of the bottom half of the body, the top half seems incredibly short. In fact the bottom half is virtually
double the length of the top half.

reply to post by Lynda101

Its certainly a fascinating piece of equipment, but it doesn't have to be a tool, it could be anything that Kha particularly liked such as a musical instrument etc.

I know what you are saying but then I say... if it was a musical instrument or other common place thing that many people would enjoy/use.... then why haven't we found more of them? Or seen any thing depicting them etc.

I have to stay with the indication it had something to do with his life skill. Maybe he was the a One & Only... I think I will do something to evaluate his work. Let me see what I can do for that.

Anyway, I have to say I did like you idea that it is a musical instrument. Out-Side-the-Box~~~

reply to post by mileysubet


Ahh, very good. I read the opening post and that idea came to mind. I only quickly scanned and I didnt know the technical name for the device was theodolite, I had never heard that term before.

reply to post by anon72

Hello Anon72.

I rather suspect this ancient instrument is more likely to have been a 'primitive' 'mariner's quadrant - an early sextant' used to measure star elevations and for navigation.



Mariner's Quadrant below):



Regards,

Scott Creighton

Originally posted by Scott Creighton
reply to post by anon72

 

Hello Anon72.

I rather suspect this ancient instrument is more likely to have been a 'primitive' 'mariner's quadrant - an early sextant' used to measure star elevations and for navigation.



Regards,

Scott Creighton

edit on 2/8/2011 by Scott Creighton because: (no reason given)

Simmiliar to the item decsribed here : Dioptra. Nice illustration though

reply to post by Lynda101


I agree, Kha looks rather female shaped to me as well.
Kha Statuette

Are we sure Kha was a man?

reply to post by Scott Creighton


Ummm, errr. Thanks. You make it seem so simple... darn it!!

But, I have to say, you sure nail it down-nicely.

I think you should contact the article writer and let them know.

One question.... did you notice (from looking at the pic in the OP) the one left corner is slightly angled and has a hole in it. With what you wrote I want to say it was for Magnetic North or used to aim at something else-if need be, perhaps to mark another angle.

Anyway, thanks and you got my mind going.

reply to post by mileysubet


I went and checked out your word.

Nice my friend. Did you read about it? Pretty amazing stuff... it seems for so long ago but that is just the old schooling I got growing up.

Thank you.

en.wikipedia.org...

A dioptra (Greek: διόπτρα) is a classical astronomical and surveying instrument, dating from the 3rd century BCE. The dioptra was a sighting tube or, alternatively, a rod with a sight at both ends, attached to a stand. If fitted with protractors, it could be used to measure angles

Great pic and additonal info at the wikipedia link.

Something very interesting about the Statue of the Architect Kha..........He is standing with his left foot forward and palms facing back.......was he a Freemason ??????????

reply to post by biomehanika

This statue shows Kha to be an honored servant, rather than a nobleman. He is standing with his left foot forward, a typical pose for officials, but is not carrying any of the tokens of office usually carried by officials; instead, he has his hands empty and palms facing back in a gesture of supplication. His wig is very fine, but his clothes are a simple kilt without the elaborate pleated overshirt favored by the nobility at this time.

Coming from a building back round i saw it as a level tool and angel tool turned on its side. But its a nice tool looks like something could have went on top so a lil mods and you have the sights to so you don't have to walk down the whole pyramid to see the problem. its a simple tool but just the angel part and level you could do a big job no problem

reply to post by Hylion169

and angel tool turned on its side.

I don't have a building background. Could you please elaborate on what you mean by this?

I thought about it being on its side, instead of how they displayed it but I thought the design may make it uneven and/or wobblily and not as accurate.

reply to post by anon72


First step in Freemasonry is left foot forward and one of the masonic sign I beleive is given with one of the palm of the hand facing back.

reply to post by biomehanika


I'm not up on the Mason thing, but I'm pretty sure I have read that the Masons use Egyptian symbolism. If that stance is thought to be Masonic, most likely the Masons borrowed it from the Egyptians since the Egyptians came first. My understanding is that the Masons were a smaller sub-group that grew out of the Knights Templar, which developed during the crusades, a long, long, long time after the ancient Egyptians built the pyramids.

reply to post by gwynnhwyfar


I bleieve you are correct. I do think that is has nothing to do with any of that.

I was hoping Bryd or some other person with detailed knowledge would have chimed in on that point. Maybe he is on vacation. I just don't know enough about the culture or other important people from the time/era that we can compare it to.

I thought about doing a comparison of the structures that are abtibuted to his overseeing to the Giza ones. See how good he was.

When I was a kid we used something similar to calculate how high our model rockets flew. I imagine ancient surveyors could fix the height of a structure with it too. Like say a pyramid?

Originally posted by occy30

Originally posted by Kandinsky
reply to post by anon72

 

I wonder if it was a form of protractor that was used to calculate gradients of land or elevations?

The AE used channels of water as we use spirit-levels. If the object floats, perhaps it was floated on the surface and then used to estimate angles of elevation?

You realize that if it floats it's a WITCH!!!!

Or a duck.

Or wood.

Harte