How Did the First Clocks Measure Time?

Imagine you're playing with a toy that moves because of sand falling through it, that's how some early clocks worked! The first clocks used things like water, fire, or even the sun to count time. They didn't tick like modern clocks; instead, they moved slowly and steadily over hours or days.

A simple water clock, called a clepsydra, had water flowing from one container to another. As the water level went down in one container, people knew more time had passed. They used these clocks to measure how long they studied or how long a game lasted.