The Ancient Origins of Clockwise Motion: A Journey Through Timekeeping History

The article explores the historical origins of why clocks always move in a clockwise direction. It explains that the clockwise movement of time is rooted in the historical development of sundials, which operated by casting a shadow with a gnomon onto a flat surface. The article highlights that the earliest mechanical clocks were designed to mimic the familiar motion of sundial shadows, and that the adoption of this directional convention was further solidified as mechanical clocks became widespread across Europe and the world.