Article ID: CBB139452133

Al-Jazari’s Water Clocks: An Archaeological Reconstruction and Comparative Analysis of the Peacock Clock and the Dragon Clock (2017)

unapi

The water clocks of the 12th-century Islamic scientist Ismail Al-Jazari may be regarded as among the most outstanding engineering masterpieces in the history of science and technology in Persia. His other works testify to his remarkable ability in design methodology and in different aspects of mechanical engineering design and manufacture such as robotics, fluid mechanics, strength of materials, and statics. In this study in experimental archaeology two of his water clocks – namely the dragon clock and the peacock clock – were considered for the purposes of making working reconstructions. The historical background, design details, and a technical and comparative analysis of these inventions are presented here. Replicas were constructed in accordance with the indications provided in Al-Jazari’s A Compendium on the Theory and Practice of the Mechanical Arts and tests have shown that both clocks operated exactly as described in his book, and with an acceptable degree of precision.

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Authors & Contributors
Rovida, Edoardo
Chirone, Emilio
Biggioggero, Gianfrancesco
Cantoni, Virginio
Mondschein, Kenneth C.
Valleriani, Matteo
Concepts
Engineering
Mechanics
Technology
Materials science
Universities and colleges
Automata; robotics; cyborgs
Time Periods
Medieval
20th century
Early modern
Renaissance
Ancient
19th century
Places
Italy
Europe
Germany
Middle and Near East
Prussia (Germany)
Byzantium
Institutions
Lehigh University
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