Byzantine sundial pocket calendar

This incredible mechanical instrument, believed to date from the early sixth century A.D. was made in the Byzantine Empire. The first two photos are the excavated parts, which can be seen at London Science museum today. The last two are the modern reconstructions of it.

The instrument comprises two practically independent parts: a sundial for use at any latitude, and a geared calendrical device showing the phase of the Moon, the day of the month and the places of the Sun and the Moon in the Zodiac. Dating by the place names included in the latitude table, by the style of the heads of the planetary gods used to identify the days of the week. Two scales on the body enable the user to adjust the first part to the elevation of the Sun at noon, according to the place and the time of year: the shadow-caster is moved over a double scale of solar declination, marked out with abbreviations of the Julian month-names; and the arm is adjusted according to a quadrant scale of latitude near the rim of the body.

The Genesis of civilisation.

Su Song's Clock Tower

Su Song was a Chinese genius polymath who lived in the 11th century. His hydro-mechanical astronomical clock tower is one of the most famous time devices of the old times, a real wonder of ancient engineering. The marvellous clock tower is his most famous creation.

This impressive 40 foot tall clock tower had many impressive features, such as the water-powered, rotating armillary sphere crowning the top-level (weighing some 10 to 20 tons), a bronze celestial globe located in the middle that was 4.5 feet in diameter, mechanically-timed and rotating manikins dressed in miniature Chinese clothes that would exit miniature opening doors to announce the time of day (on designated reading plaques, ringing bells and gongs, or beating drums), a sophisticated use of oblique gears and an escapement mechanism, as well as an exterior facade of a fanciful Chinese pagoda.

First image is the original diagram from Su Song's book, second image is a modern scale model, third image is the modern lifesize replica displayed at National Museum of Natural Science in Taiwan.