Budapest Régiségei 30. (1993)

TÁRGYI EMLÉKEK ÉS LELETEK = DENKMÄLER UND FUNDE - Noéh Ferenc: Fragment of a measuring instrument from Aquincum 293-295

important scientific center in Antiquity, and also measured the distance between the two cities. Having measured various angles, he calculated the length of the Equator and the value he arrived hardly differs from the value obtained using the most advanced techniques today. Another measurement of such angles was carried out about a century later by Poseidonius (135 BC. 51 B.C.) who used Alexandria and Rhodos as the two end points. Rhodos is also a renowned place in geography because the first map using modern, rectangular coordinates was made there by Dikaiarkhos at the end of the 4th century A. D..

6 Hipparkhos (190 B. C? - 126 B. C.) an outstanding scholar of classical astronomy also worked in Rhodos. In his work, the basic meridian is defined as the meridian crossing Rhodos. The role and importance of Athens in the scientific life of Antiquity (both in geography and astronomy) is quite obvious. Mentioning the names of Anaxagoras and Aristotle should be sufficient here. The remaining five outer circles on the marble fragment were probably also labelled with city names which, however, remain unknown due to the fragmentary nature of this find. The known four city names followed in a south to north direction, therefore it may be hypothesized that the rest of the cities included Rome and even towns located more to the north, possibly as far as Aquincum. Notes 1 Geological analysis was kindly provided by Dr. Pál Kertész university docent and Dr. István Marek university adjunct. 2 Strabo: Geógraphika. Budapest (1977) p. 132. 3 Ibid. p. 148. 4 RÉDEY

I.: A geodézia története. Budapest (1966) pp. 26-29. Shorter and longer sections are marked on circle segments both with and without city names. Incisions marking these sections are not positioned in a radial direction. It is easy to imagine that these short incisions were all oriented toward a point which may have been defined by the intersection between the perpendicular radii and the circles themselves. It is also possible that the point(s) from where the lengths may be measured with a compass all fall on the line which connects the origins of these circles. It seems likely that it is the remains of a measuring instrument which have come to light at this site. It may have been used by geographers or astronomers in locating geographic features. It is certainly true that no catalogues of any European museums and collections specialized in ancient measuring instruments mention similar specimens. Among the approximately four hundred such collections only twenty-some are fortunate enough to muster Roman Period equipment. None of those, however, is similar to the specimen under discussion here. There is no need to demonstrate the obvious activities of technical personnel, especially surveyors in Aquincum. Although evidence of their presence and operations has been available for some time, this marble plate is the first find which illustrates the involvement of related sciences: cartographers and astronomers also travelled as far as Pannónia. 5 Ibid. p. 29-30. 6 STEGENA L.: Térképtörténet. Budapest (1983) p. 26. 7 Ibid.* p. 27. 8 H. MlNOW: Historische Vermessungsinstrumente. Wiesbaden (1982). 294