Around 5,000 years ago, the Sumerians of ancient Mesopotamia—what is now modern-day Iraq—transformed the way humans perceive and measure time. These early innovators developed an advanced numerical system based on the number 60, known as the sexagesimal system. This ingenious method gave rise to the division of an hour into 60 minutes and a minute into 60 seconds—units of time that still govern our daily lives today.
The Sumerians’ need for precise timekeeping was driven by the demands of their agricultural society. Accurate calendars were essential for planting and harvesting crops at the right time. In addition, the coordination of complex religious ceremonies and administrative functions also required a reliable system for tracking time. To meet these needs, the Sumerians made remarkable strides in astronomy.
By carefully observing the movements of celestial bodies, they created a lunar calendar consisting of 12 months—closely aligned with the cycles of the natural world and agricultural seasons. Their division of the day into 24 hours, each hour into 60 minutes, and each minute into 60 seconds was nothing short of revolutionary.
These divisions were far from arbitrary. They were designed for practical use and ease of calculation, reflecting the Sumerians’ sophisticated understanding of mathematics. The number 60, for example, is highly divisible, which made it ideal for constructing a system that could be used efficiently in everyday life.
This innovative approach to time had a profound impact on later civilizations. The Babylonians, Greeks, and Romans all adopted and further developed the Sumerian timekeeping system, building on its solid mathematical foundation.
Today, the legacy of Sumerian ingenuity lives on in our clocks and calendars, a testament to their enduring influence. Their pioneering work in time measurement continues to shape how we organize and experience the world, thousands of years later.
