The origin and legend of hourglass

Hourglass is a device that measures time through the flow of quicksand. Its history can be traced back to the ancient Egyptian civilization in 1500 BC, and the prototype of hourglass also appeared in China during the Song Dynasty. ‌ 1 Origin and Development ‌Ancient Egypt and Eastern Origin‌ The prototype of the hourglass first appeared in ancient Egypt in 1500 BC and was used for the time control of religious rituals. Timer devices similar to hourglass appeared in China during the Song Dynasty (about the 10th century), but the early forms were quite different from modern hourglass. ‌ 1 2 ‌Western development‌ In the 13th century AD, hourglass was gradually popularized in Europe and used in daily life and navigational timing. During the 15th century Magellan sailed around the world, each ship was equipped with 18 hourglass to ensure accurate navigation time records. After the 17th century, hourglass was widely used in scientific experiments and astronomical observations and was introduced to China. ‌ 3 4 St