Build Your Own with the Ancient Hobbyist

Build Your Own With the Ancient Hobbyist

Ever wonder how the recreations on the show are made? Download the instructions here and get started making your own models of ancient inventions.

Aulos - Bamboo Flute
An aulos is a Greek reed instrument consisting of a cylindrical or slightly conical tube that is generally about 50 cm long. Primitive examples were made of reed or bone, but wood and ivory later became common. The aulos accompanied a wide range of Greek activities: It was present at sacrifices, dramas and even wrestling matches, the discus throw and sailor's dances on triremes (warship). Plato associates it with the ecstatic cults of Dionysus (god of wine) and the Korybantes (dancers who worshipped goddess Cybele). In his writings, Plato even banned the aulos from his Republic.

» Watch the ancient hobbyist build a bamboo flute, also known as an aulos
http://www.history.co...

» Download instructions for building an Aulos
http://www.history.co...

Rhombus
The word rhombus is from the Greek word for something that spins. A Rhombos in ancient Greece was what is known among anthropologists as a bullroarer, a small object rapidly swung about on a cord in order to make a noise. To the Greeks, it was a sacred instrument, however, to many other cultures it was also a means of communicating over distances. By modifying the expansiveness of its circuit and the speed given it, the modulation of the sound can be controlled, making the coding of information possible. The low frequency component of the sound travels extremely long distances, especially on the wind.

» Watch the ancient hobbyist build a rhombus
http://www.history.co...

» Download instructions for building a Rhombus
http://www.history.co...

Skytale
The Skytale was a favourite device of the Spartans – those muscley blokes from the Film 300. It was mentioned in writings as early as the 7th Century BC. It's fairly weak as a cryptographic device, however, so long as no one else knows the actual theory behind the encoding process, you'll be fine. It has the advantage of being fast and not prone to mistake, important when on the battlefield. 2500 years ago, the percent of people who could read and write was much smaller than it is today. Therefore, at the time Skytales provided a much more secure method of communication than they would do today.

» Watch the ancient hobbyist build a skytale
http://www.history.co...

» Download instructions for building a Skytale
http://www.history.co...

Horizontal Sundial
The sun dial is one of the oldest timekeepers in known history. Quick and easy to make, the skill came with calibrating the device. The only thing it required was the sun... Something that ancient Greece and Rome had plenty of.

» Watch the ancient hobbyist build a sundial
http://www.history.co...

» Download instructions for building a Horizontal Sundial
http://www.history.co...


from: http://www.history.co...