The Invention and Advance of Scientific Instruments
Overview
The study of the heavens produced the earliest surviving scientific instruments, and the need for accurate astronomical sightings and calculations provided the stimulus for technological and theoretical innovation that would allow mechanization and development in many other fields. However, the history of scientific instruments is patchy at best, as most devices were constructed of cheap materials such as wood, or even paper, and consequently have not survived. Only the most permanent structures or the most grand and expensive, made from metals or stone, have survived.
Background
Some of the earliest scientific instruments were markings on rocks that showed the position of the sunrise on a certain day of the year. Later, astronomical constructions were made that ranged from simple sundials to complex structures such as Stonehenge. In ancient Mesopotamia mudbrick buildings were designed specifically for observation of the stars and planets. The Egyptian pyramids were built with perfectly aligned north-south and east-west positions. Such accurate construction was achieved using a star-sighting tool called a merkhet, which enabled the direction of the north star to be found with a plumb line. Water clocks were used by the Egyptians and the Babylonians as far back as 1500 B.C.
