Before B.C., how did people keep track of the year?

Question

Before B.C., how did people keep track of the year?

Answer 1

I always wondered that...I think they just guessed when there was finally smart people lol

Answer 2

Some of the earliest scientific notion appears to be keeping track of the phases of the moon. My hunch would be they used the seasons. Using Arabic number system.

Answer 3

stick and dirt

they also has clay tablets

Answer 4

There have been several calendars throughout history.  They were very precise in their study of the cosmos, and kept accurate records.  Everything was based upon the earth's revolutions around the sun (although they thought it was the sun revolving around the earth) and they knew exactly when the equinoxes and soltices occurred.  They didn't number the years as they didn't have a starting date.  

Answer 5

Since you mention BC (or BCE - before common era) which we in the West are familiar with there are other calendars that have kept the date a few thousand years before our system.  In both the Chinese and Judaic calendars I believe they are both well into their 5000th year of recorded time.

Answer 6

thats a really good question, i think the general hoy poloy didnt really acknowledge year number but probably thought in terms of 'my 20th year' or my dads 40th year, but in recordings where they were made i think they wer recorded as the monarchs year

Answer 7

most people didnt.

but the mayans created a calender called the mayan calender.

ours is based on the original calender.