EGibhithe lasendulo, i-merkhet yayiwumshini ophawulekayo owawusetshenziselwa ukutshela isikhathi ebusuku nokwenza ukuhlola kwezinkanyezi. Lesi sihloko sihlola umlando othakazelisayo, idizayini, nokubaluleka kwe-merkhet emphakathini wasendulo waseGibhithe.
Imvelaphi ye-Merkhet
I-merkhet, eyaziwa nangokuthi "ithuluzi lokwazi," kwakuyithuluzi laseGibhithe lasendulo elaguqula ukugcinwa kwesikhathi kanye nokubhekwa kwezinkanyezi. Umsuka wayo oqondile ugubuzelwe yimfihlakalo, kodwa kukholakala ukuthi yathuthukiswa cishe ngo-600 BCE. Ama-merkhet akudala aziwayo ayenziwe ngethusi futhi anombhalo we-hieroglyphic ohuqwe nge-electrum, ingxubevange yensimbi eyigugu yegolide nesiliva.
Idizayini nokusebenza
Idizayini ye-merkhet ibilula ngendlela emangalisayo kodwa isebenza kahle kakhulu. Lalihlanganisa ibha eqondile eyenziwe ngokhuni noma ngethambo, exhunywe kumugqa wokuqondisa. Intambo yokuqondisa, intambo enesisindo esetshenziselwa ukumisa ireferensi eqondile, yayibalulekile ekugcineni isikhathi esinembile nokuqondanisa izakhiwo. I-merkhet yayiqondaniswe nenkanyezi yaseNyakatho, futhi i-merkhet yesibili yasetshenziselwa ukusungula i-North-south meridian, ihlinzeka iphuzu lokubhekisela ekulandeleleni ukunyakaza kwesibhakabhaka.
Ukugcina isikhathi nge-Merkhet
I-merkhet idlale indima ebalulekile ekunqumeni isikhathi ebusuku. Ngokubuka izinkanyezi ezithile zinqamula i-meridian, abaseGibhithe lasendulo babengawabala ngokunembile amahora. I-merkhet ivumele izazi zezinkanyezi ukuthi zilandelele ukunyakaza kwezindikimba zasemkhathini futhi zenze ukuhlola okunembayo kwezinkanyezi. Emini, lapho izinkanyezi zazingabonakali, ama-sundials zazisetshenziselwa ukuphawula ukuhamba kwamahora.
Ukubhekwa kwezinkanyezi
Ngalé kokugcinwa kwesikhathi, i-merkhet yenza izazi zezinkanyezi zasendulo zenze imephu yesibhakabhaka futhi zijulise ukuqonda kwazo izindikimba zasemkhathini. Ngosizo lwethuluzi lokubona elibizwa ngokuthi i-bay, izazi zezinkanyezi zazikwazi ukuhlola nezilinganiso ezinemininingwane. I-merkhet, ehlangene ne-bay, yayiyithuluzi elinamandla lokufunda isibhakabhaka ebusuku kanye nokwembula izimfihlakalo ze-cosmos.
Merkhets emphakathini wasendulo waseGibhithe
Ukubaluleka kwe-merkhet kwadlulela ngalé kokugcinwa kwesikhathi kanye nesayensi yezinkanyezi. Kukholakala ukuthi ama-merkhets asetshenziswa ekwakhiweni kwamathempeli namathuna ukuvumelanisa izakhiwo ngezindlela ezithile. Ukuhleleka okunembayo kwalezi zakhiwo ezingcwele kwakubaluleke kakhulu kwabaseGibhithe lasendulo, njengoba kwakufanekisela ukuxhumana kwabo nezindawo zaphezulu nezasezulwini.
Ama-merkhets aboniswa
Namuhla, ama-merkhets amaningana asekhona angatholakala embukisweni kumamnyuziyamu anamaqoqo ezinto zobuciko zaseGibhithe. Lawa ma-artifact amangalisayo ahlinzeka ngesixhumanisi esibambekayo sesikhathi esedlule futhi anikeza ukuqonda olwazini oluthuthukisiwe lwesayensi kanye nempumelelo yezobuchwepheshe yempucuko yaseGibhithe lasendulo. Imisebenzi eminingi yobuciko baseGibhithe iphinde ibonise ukusetshenziswa kwama-merkhets, iphinde igcizelele ukubaluleka kwawo emphakathini wasendulo.
Umthelela we-Merkhet kamuva
Kuyiqiniso ukuthi ukusungulwa kwe-merkhet kwashintsha ukugcinwa kwesikhathi kanye nesayensi yezinkanyezi eGibhithe lasendulo. Kodwa ngaphambi kokuba ithuthukiswe, abantu babethembele ezindleleni ezinganembile kangako njengamawashi amanzi. Ukunemba kwe-merkhet kanye nekhono lokwenza okubhekwa kwesayensi kube nomthelela omkhulu kuzinganekwane zaseGibhithe kanye ne-cosmology. Kwavumela ukuqonda okujulile kwendawo yasezulwini kanye nokuxhumana kwembulunga yasemhlabeni nephezulu.
Ngenkathi amadivayisi wesimanje wokugcina isikhathi enze ukuthi i-merkhet iphelelwe yisikhathi, ifa layo liyaqhubeka. Abanye abashisekayo benza kabusha ezabo izinguqulo ze-merkhet, banikeze umbono womhlaba wezazi zezinkanyezi zaseGibhithe lasendulo. Iminyuziyamu yesayensi ngezikhathi ezithile ivumela izivakashi ukuthi zizibonele mathupha i-merkhet, kanye namanye amathuluzi asendulo ezinkanyezi njengama-astrolabes, okukhuthaza ukwazisa okujulile ngobuhlakani bokhokho bethu.
Amazwi wokugcina
I-merkhet ime njengobufakazi bempumelelo emangalisayo yesayensi yaseGibhithe lasendulo. Leli thuluzi elilula kodwa elinamandla liguqule ukugcina isikhathi kanye nesayensi yezinkanyezi, livumela ukunemba okukhulu nokuqonda kwendawo yasezulwini. Njengoba sibabaza ama-merkhet agciniwe kumamnyuziyamu futhi sihlola imifanekiso yawo ngobuciko baseGibhithe, sizuza ukwazisa okujulile ngobuhlakani nokuhlakanipha kwempucuko yasendulo. I-merkhet iyaqhubeka nokusikhuthaza ukuba sembule izimfihlakalo ze-cosmos futhi sifune ulwazi oludlula isikhathi.
