How Did Ancient Civilizations Keep Time?

Long ago, people didn’t have clocks, they used the sun and stars to know when it was time for work or sleep. Sundials showed the time of day by where the shadow fell, and water clocks measured time by how fast water flowed out of a container. It was like using a giant hourglass in the sky!

Take the quiz →

Examples

  1. A farmer uses a sundial on his field to know when to start working.
  2. A water clock ticks slowly as the children wait for their turn at play.
  3. The moon’s full shape helps a family know it's time for an important celebration.

Ask a question

See also

Discussion

Recent activity

Nothing here yet.