The Greeks used the sun and shadows to tell time. Imagine a big stick in the ground, when it casts a shadow, that’s like a clock hand! In the morning, the shadow is long; at noon, it’s short. People would watch how the shadow moved all day and use that to know what time it was.
Examples
- The Greeks watched the shadow from a stick to know it was time for lunch.
- A boy used the movement of the gnomon to tell when his race would start.
- At night, water moved from one cup to another like a quiet clock ticking in the dark.
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See also
- How Did the First Clock Work and Why Was It Important?
- How Did Clocks Change Time?
- How Did the First ‘Clocks’ Work and Why Were They Invented?
- How Did the ‘Clock’ Become the Standard for Timekeeping?
- How Does a Clock Keep Time?
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