How Did Ancient People Count the Hours of the Day?

Ancient people used the sun and shadows to tell time. Imagine a big stick in the ground, as the sun moves, the shadow changes. That’s like having a clock outside your house! When it was cloudy or dark, they might use sand falling through an hourglass instead, it’s just like how we count minutes today.

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Examples

A big stick in the ground casts a shadow that moves as the sun goes up, like a clock.
A sand timer starts with all the sand on one side and stops when it’s all on the other.
Children played outside until the shadow of a tree became long, meaning it was time to go home.

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Categories: Science · timekeeping· ancient history· sundials