Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphic depictions are based on ‘flattened’ image montages that do not account for recession or diminution of size (size reduction with distance), and foreshortening is also absent However, the ancient Egyptian civilisation made many other important contributions to perspective-related theory, principles, methods, systems, and instruments, etc.
Egyptian obelisks, constructed c. 3500 BC, are among the earliest shadow clocks. The earliest examples of gauges and dial markings are found on Egyptian measuring instruments. The first ruler was a measuring rod made of a copper alloy and dated to 2650 BC. It has been suggested that glass eye covers (natural crystal stones) as depicted in hieroglyphs from the Old Kingdom c. 2686–2181 BC), are functional, simple glass meniscus lenses.
The oldest dated star chart appeared in ancient Egyptian Astronomy. The oldest description of a clepsydra, or water clock, is from the tomb inscription of an early 18th Dynasty Egyptian court official named Amenemhet. Something that can be described as a protractor or a forerunner of a protractor is found in a tomb of an ancient Egyptian architect Kha, dating from 1400 BC. The first real protractors were made around five hundred years ago.
The standard work describing these methods is Schäfer (1974), who uses the term “perspective- like” (German aperspektivisch), a term also used by Jean Gebser, to describe Egyptian methods of spatial representation.
You must be logged in to post a comment.