ancient model of keeping time

the method of ancient time keeping I researched was water clocks.


Water clocks were among the first methods of keeping track of time that did not depend on observations of celestial bodies. One of the oldest water clocks was found in the Egyptian pharaoh Amenhotep's tomb. He was buried around 1500 BCE. The water clocks were stone vessels with sloping sides that allowed water to drip at a nearly constant rate from a small hole near the bottom. Other water clocks were cylindrical, or bowl-shaped containers designed to slowly fill with water coming in at a constant rate. Markings on the inside surfaces measured the passage of "hours" as the water level reached them. These clocks were used to determine hours at night, but may have been used in daylight as well. Another version consisted of a metal bowl with a hole in the bottom; when placed in a container of water the bowl would fill and sink in a certain time. These were still in use in North Africa in the 20th century.