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1. Astronomy and the measurement of time


Sundial from the Temple of Apollo, Pompeii
 
The ancients assiduously observed and studied the heavens, both during daylight hours and at night. The sundials found in Pompeii prove that inhabitants knew about the cycle of seasons, and were able to recognize the hour of the day. Careful astronomical observations regulated the agricultural calendar. Knowledge of astronomy was also the subject of artistic depictions: this is the case of the Farnese Globe, an extraordinary example of the integration of art and science.
     
Original artefacts
 

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