File:AGMA_Clepsydre.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons
water clock
Sign in to saveAlso known as clepsydra
timepiece in which time is measured by the flow of liquid into a vessel
A water clock is a device that measures time by tracking how liquid flows into a container—as the liquid accumulates to different levels, it indicates how much time has passed. These clocks were important timekeeping tools in ancient civilizations before mechanical clocks were invented.
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Key facts
- Size
- H:8.2 cm (3.2 in), W:11.8 cm (4.6 in), D:2.5 cm (0.98 in)
- Writing
- cuneiform , Akkadian
- Created
- 600BC-500BC
- Present location
- Room 55, British Museum
via Wikipedia infobox
Wikidata facts
- Image
- Modern water clock.JPG
Show 1 more fact
- Commons category
- Water clocks
Sources (2)
via Wikidata · CC0
~26 min read
Article
A display of two outflow water clocks from the Ancient Agora Museum in Athens. The top is an original from the late 5th century BC. The bottom is a reconstruction of a clay original.
A water clock, or clepsydra (from Ancient Greek κλεψύδρα (klepsúdra) 'pipette, water clock'; from κλέπτω (kléptō) 'to steal' and ὕδωρ (hydor) 'water'; lit. ' water thief'), is a timepiece by which time is measured by the regulated flow of liquid into (inflow type) or out from (outflow type) a vessel, and where the amount of liquid can then be measured.