This artifact was found in a wreck near Oman, and is the oldest found, dating back to 1495-1500AD. This surprises me because I thought that we had much earlier examples of astrolabes. Didn't the ancient Greeks use them? A bit puzzled to tell the truth....


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41724022

I agree with you. I thought simple astolabes were used in ancient Greece. And I'm pretty sure I remember reading that they came to medieval Europe during the Crusades, so about the 12th century, which rather suggests they were in use in the Islamic world somewhat before that. Didn't Chaucer write/translate a little book about the uses of an astrolabe?

The BBC article says it's a 'mariners' astolabe' so perhaps that's a specific type and this is the oldest actual example.

You're right. 

A mariners astrolabe is quite different to the classical astrolabe of the ancients.

One learns something new every day, don't one?

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariner%27s_astrolabe

Hatshepsut wrote:

This artifact was found in a wreck near Oman, and is the oldest found, dating back to 1495-1500AD. This surprises me because I thought that we had much earlier examples of astrolabes. Didn't the ancient Greeks use them? A bit puzzled to tell the truth....


http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-41724022

Too late Hatshepsut ...I had it already in my favourites to post here...but delayed on a French forum to seek something reasonable about
the Nazi Lebensborn...and I found it in German...
BTW Binky, Hatshepsut seems to be a lady...I don't want to press you to...

Kind regards from your friend Paul.

PS: And in English "friend" is neutral...but it can in Dutch, German and French be a : vriend, Freund, ami, or a : vriendin, Freundin, amie...

Hello PaulRykier, yes I am a lady. Did the photo of Tutankhamun create a bit of confusion? 

I would have liked to post a pic of Hatshepsut, but as you may know, the pharoah succeeding her (her nephew I think) had all statuary etc depicting her destroyed or otherwise defaced. So the only nice photo of an egyptian nature was the one of Tut.

My introduction to Hatshepsut was at school, as an 11years old pupil. The majority of the teachers were nuns, apart from history, maths and chemistry. The history teacher was a really lovely single lady, devoted to her pupils and wanting to instill in them all an appreciation of history. She taught us about Hatshepsut, a powerful female ruler in an amazing ancient land. I think she wanted a good role model for her girls  

Hattie,

me too at eleven in a Roman Catholic college and it were all priests with a cassock... all of them...only in Ostend at fourteen there were lay teachers, among others the one of history...and from him I learned to love history...he emphasized also the circumstances and causes, which led to an event...and I remembered it for the rest of my life when encountering history and yes also in other situations. BTW: He has later written, together with a team, history schoolbooks.

Kind regards from Paul.