* The Egyptians were one of the first civilizations to develop a sophisticated system of timekeeping. They used the position of the sun in the sky to divide the day into hours and the year into seasons. They also created the obelisks which acted as giant sundials.
* The Babylonians also used the sun to measure time, developing a system of dividing the day into 24 hours.
* The Greeks and Romans further refined the use of sundials, creating more accurate and complex versions.
* The Mayans developed a calendar based on the sun's position, with a year divided into 18 months of 20 days each, plus five extra days.
* Many indigenous cultures around the world developed their own systems of timekeeping based on the sun's movement, often using various tools and techniques like shadow clocks or observing the solstices.
It's important to remember that the sun was not just used to measure time, but also played a vital role in many ancient cultures' religions, mythology, and societal structures.