Sike sathi qephu kulengosi yethu ngendaba yezinyanga nanokuthi zaziqanjwa kanjani, kulelikhasi ke sesibheka indaba yesikhathi njengoba esimanjeni sekusetshenziswa izigcina sikhathi, amawashi ngolimu lamangisi. Kulelikhasi sibhunga ngendaba yezikhathi nanokuthi emandulo babazi kanjani ukuthi sekuyisikhathi sini. Sizoqala ngehola leshumi nambili, ngokwesintu sibizwa ngokuthi phakathi namabili. Abadala babebona ngokuphakama kwenkanyezi enkulu ebizwa ngendonsa, indonsa busuku phecelezi. Besekuthi entathakusa ngehola lesithathu, kuphuma inkanyezi ebizwa ngekhwezi, kukhale nezinkukhu zokuqala, umuntu onohambo olude wayazi kahle ke lapho ukuthi kumele akhahlele isembatho aqale uhambo lwakhe.
Emva kokukhala kwezinkukhu zokuqala, kulandela ezesibili, lapho kusho ukuthi ihola lesine ekuseni, sekumpondo zankomo ngoba kusuke sekubonakala izimpondo nemibala yezinkomo ekuseni. Emva kwalokho, kube yihola lesihlanu, lapho ke sekukhala izinkukhu zokugcina, kwehle inkanyezi ikhwezi bese kwehla nezinkukhu emthini.
Uma nje liqala liphuma ilanga ekuseni noma likhasa, kwakwaziwa kahle ukuthi kushuthi yihola lesithupha lelo, okuthi ngehola lesikhombisa ziphume izinkomo ekuseni ziphuma inhlazane. Bekuthi uma sekuphume ilanga ngehola leshumi nanye zibuye izinkomo emadlelweni sezizosengwa kukhululwe namathole. Abantu abadala bebazi kahle ukuthi uma isithunzi sesiphansi komniniso, kusho ukuthi ligamenxe eleshumi nambili, uzwe sekuthiwa kusemini bebade.
Ukukwazi ukusebenzisa imvelo ukuqagula isikhathi kusho obukhulu obuhlakani lobu kubantu bakithi, njengoba bekwaziwa kahle ukuthi uma izinkomo seziqede ukwetshisa, kuthiwa yimini yantambama, okungamahola amabili ngokwesikhathi. Bekwaziwa kahle ukuthi uma ilanga selibeka izithunzi ezintabeni, kuthiwe selimathunzi lapho abakhapheyana babuyisa izinkomo emadlelweni bazovalela. Uma nje ilanga liqala ukuba bomvu, kwaziwa kahle ukuthi selishayile ihola lesikhombisa, lapho izinkomo sezivalelwe esibayeni. Ngaphambi kokushaya kwehola lesikhombisa, kuphuma inkanyezi ebizwa ngokuthi isicelankobe, okuthi uma sekuhlwile ebusuku kuphume enye inkanyezi ebizwa ngokuthi inqonqoyi.
Brief Overview
Before the arrival of watches, African people used astronomical events to detect times and seasons. This article highlights how ancient people knew the correct times without using watches, and also reveals the names of the stars which are used for the purpose of determining time.