Just a reminder, a scientific instrument is something that is primarily meant to be used to conduct science.
Just because something can be used for doing science or because science was used/necessary in creating it, does not make it a scientific instrument.
Otherwise we had to conclude that pretty much every manmade object in existence is a science instrument. (Dare me, show me an object and I can tell you how you can do science with it or how science was needed to create the object)
And calculating the date of Easter has absolutely nothing to do with science.
I know many people see couple of numbers and conclude science was being done, but that is not true. Science is about improving our understanding of the universe. Doing "sciency" stuff like observing the sky or calculating formulas or measuring time for some other reason IS NOT science.
This ceramic vessel, about the size of a human fist and a half, is critical to the pursuit of modern science.
The main ceramic caldera facilitates the enclosure of hot liquids, and the protruding element which breaks its rotational symmetry serves to make the device more easily manipulated by the human hand, and shields the bearer from burns.
So this is a metrology instrument then, and if that's true, then it's by far not the oldest, because I'm pretty sure there were semi-calibrated vessels for volume measurement since way before this sundial.
Exactly. We have LOTS of metrology instruments as metrology was quite important throughout history. For example, most cities would have their own standards for lengths, weights and volumes to ensure fair trade.
Just because something can be used for doing science or because science was used/necessary in creating it, does not make it a scientific instrument.
Otherwise we had to conclude that pretty much every manmade object in existence is a science instrument. (Dare me, show me an object and I can tell you how you can do science with it or how science was needed to create the object)
And calculating the date of Easter has absolutely nothing to do with science.
I know many people see couple of numbers and conclude science was being done, but that is not true. Science is about improving our understanding of the universe. Doing "sciency" stuff like observing the sky or calculating formulas or measuring time for some other reason IS NOT science.