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The merkhet or merjet (Ancient Egyptian: mrḫt, 'instrument of knowing') was an ancient surveying and timekeeping instrument. It involved the use of a bar with a plumb line, attached to a wooden handle. It was used to track the alignment of certain stars called decans or "baktiu" in the Ancient Egyptian.
Learn how the ancient Egyptians used measuring ropes, plumb bobs, sighting instruments, and leveling instruments to engineer wonders like pyramids. The merchet was a staff with a notched top that enabled them to measure long lines effectively.
Function: This surveying instrument is an early navigational tool used to measure altitude or the distance of an object above sea level or the horizon. Inventor and date of invention: The device was likely invented by Rabbi Levi ben Gershon (1288-1344), a Jewish scholar.
Jan 27, 2008 · Merchet. The merchet was a device for measuring time and meridian. It was first used by the Chaldeans in about 4,000 B.C. It consisted of a slotted palm leaf through which to sight and a bracket from which a plumb bob was suspended. -By sighting through the 'slot and past the plumb bob string, a straight line could be projected.
Egyptian architects, surveyors and builders are known to have used two specialised surveying tools: the Merkhet (the 'instrument of knowing', similar uses to an Astrolabe) and the Bay (a sighting tool probably made from the central rib of a palm leaf).
Merkhet, a timekeeping and surveying instrument, made in Ancient Egypt, 600BCE. Made in bronze with hieroglyphic text inlaid with electrum metal. The device has been fitted with a replica plumb bob, probably at some point during the early twentieth century.
Jul 3, 2018 · Learn about the merkhet, an L-shape plumb bob used by the Egyptians for astronomical observations and leveling. The web page explains how the merkhet worked, its accuracy, and its possible role in temple and tomb construction.
