Stone gnomons
Carved pillars cast shadows tied to solstices. Ancient engineers used them to mark noon and the equinox.
Chronology Lab
Survey the instruments that turned cosmic motion into measurable ticks.
Carved pillars cast shadows tied to solstices. Ancient engineers used them to mark noon and the equinox.
Graduated vessels let monks and astronomers count hours when the sun was hidden.
Huygens’ pendulum kept seconds steady, paving the way for precise navigation and factories.
Piezo crystals vibrate with fixed frequencies; cesium atoms define the SI second to within a billionth of a second.
Each chronometer added new precision when the previous one reached its limits. Displaying them together shows how humanity chased accuracy.