LJWorld Reader blogs

The Ancient Egyptians built massive obelisks as sundials in order to differentiate the parts of day. With a relative segmentation of the day, the culture utilized educated predictions to provide basic scheduling. Uniform patterns along different sites allowed for temporal estimations between distances aiding in decision making. The revelation of seasonal differences aided in agriculture and record-keeping, and eventually cyclic patterns could be dictated at night by watching the moon and stars. Soon, the pyramids and other architecture were designed in tune with cyclic rhythms of heavenly bodies in the sky. The Ancient Chinese developed a mechanical method of time utilizing the near constant drip of water. Su Song designed a mechanized calendar that ornately displayed astronomical data with such intricacy, that this "clock" was over thirty feet tall. Other cultures in Ancient Africa developed a water clock by using a bowl with a tiny hole in the bottom, as the bowl filled, marks were made in its rim in order to denote time. As for calendaring, the methods seem much more diverse. Early indigenous cultures of europe developed a cyclical calendar based on solar and lunar events, as did the Chaco, the Incans, the Sumerians, the Hebrews, and even the early Egyptians. However, it was the Egyptians who noticed the appearance of the Dog Star (Sirius) every 365 days. Interestingly enough, the Dogon culture of Africa had such a complex understanding of the Sirius system as to presuppose a fainter star causing gravitational differences within its orbit. The Babylonians weren't so convinced by a solar year, and simply followed an alternating lunar cycle.

All across the continents of Africa, Asia, and Europe these intertwining implementations of chronology led to a combination of the elements of timekeeping. The Macedonians, however, were the first (recorded) to divide the day into 24 hours.

The indigenous peoples of the southern americas, time and record were kept on string. The Inca had a series of relay runners that would carry messages, as one would pass, a knot was tied into a string at a certain distance, depending on the part of the day. The mayans got a little deeper with the calendaring. By incorporating other revolving objects in the night sky like venus, mars, and even the Milky-way Galaxy, the culture developed the most complex calendaring system imaginable. Equating rhythmic ratios into a 13/20 into 260 day Tzolkin also combined with a 365 Haab, creating an even larger ration. But then there was an even longer calendar called the Bak'tun with a total cycle of 144000 days! With this calculable series of days and characters, great cycles like the time it takes the Earth's axial spin to turn 360 degrees, or even the solar system to make one revolution around galactic central point. One of the key differences between this calendar and others, is that the time is relative to the position of ourselves within the galaxy, rather than the position of the sun relative to ourselves.

In the ancient west, sundials were good enough for the common man. Eventually, the uncommon man began to construct elaborate clocks as decoration and as discipline, hung on the highest of towers for all to see. These weight powered precipices soon gave way to springs and pendulums for accuracy. Galileo, an avid star-watcher, is credited with the design of the first pendulum-powered clocks. Soon, the west would be increasing their productivity by accurately keeping time, among other things of course. 24 hour clocks got smaller and smaller, and twenty four hour time got bigger and bigger. First Quartz, then Ammonia, then Cesium became the standard to measure time worldwide. Time got borrowed in some countries and states for Daylight Savings Time, and soon the whole world was relying on twenty-four hours of 60 minutes and sixty seconds to carry out its business.

Perhaps the major difference between the indigenous peoples of the Americas and the western influence of scheduling is the reverence of the cyclical aspect of time. The Mvskoke peoples held time as sacred. Dances, stories, plantings, harvestings, and celebrations were held at certain times in conjunction with the most palpable changes within time. Incorporated so deeply into the culture, the natural rhythm of time resonated into every aspect of the civilization. Time was not money. Time was life. The most apparant observations of this were noted by the animals, insects, plants, waters, and winds around them. To the Mvskoke, and many others, these elements were people too. A universal respect yielded a universal harmony.

Personally, I would very much like to return to a time when one arises to the warmth of the sun and goes to sleep with its descent. I would like to count my weeks with the faces of the moon, and count my seasons by the lengths of the days. What do you think?