What are Sun Clocks?
Sun clocks are clocks which use the movements of the sun to tell time. These clocks are somewhat limited in scope, as they do not work at night, but they are the earliest form of clock in the world, and they laid the groundwork for the invention of later timekeeping devices. People continue to use sun clocks in a variety of settings, both as novelties and as actual working clocks which help communities keep track of time. The earliest sun clocks divided the day into two parts: morning and afternoon. These clocks were devised by establishing a large pillar or obelisk and tracking the movement of the shadow cast by this object as the sun moved across the day. The middle of the day occurred when the shadow was shortest, indicating that the sun was directly overhead. Numerous Middle Eastern cultures used this basic design, as did the Egyptians. Eventually, the two-part day was deemed too simplistic, and societies started adding markers to create more segments in the day, creating sun clock
