Question

How time was measured when pendulum clocks were not available?

Answer 1

Time was measured by Sundials when pendulum clocks were not available.

Answer 2

Time was measured during the period when pendulum clocks were not available with the help of devices like sundial, sand clock, shadow clocks, obelisks, water clocks, wrist watch, and equator clock.  

Explanation:

• The discovery of pendulum clocks was done during the 15th century and that marked the era of precise timekeeping. Earlier to that period, many devices like sundial or the sand hour clocks were used. All these devices were quite primitive and had drawbacks to calculate the time precisely. Sundial for example was a type of shadow clock that depended on the shadow falling during a sunny day.
• However, due to lack of shadows on a rainy or cloudy day, this could not accurately provide the time during winter or rainy seasons, when the sun was not visible. The Egyptian obelisks were also a type of shadow clocks. The hourglass or sand glass calculated the time with the passage of sand from the top to the bottom compartment of the glass. Astronomical clocks were used by the Eastern countries like China.