Before that, the ancients had many different interesting ways to wake up in the morning.
Natural method
Sunlight was a familiar “alarm clock” for our ancestors in the past. Humans often went to bed at night and used the dawn outside the cave as an alarm. In addition, the sounds of animals in the morning were a way to help ancient people wake up.
One effective method that humans have used is to use their bladder as an alarm. According to records, people will calibrate the amount of water consumed before going to bed so that it is just enough to wake them up in the morning.
Another popular “alarm clock” is the rooster. Roosters crow at dawn as a way of declaring their territory. Researchers have found that 140 decibels is the audible threshold of a rooster’s crowing when heard close to your ear. With such a loudness, it’s no wonder roosters have been a popular alarm clock since they were domesticated.
Unique inventions
The water-powered alarm clock was invented by the Greek philosopher Plato. Plato described the alarm clock process using four ceramic pots stacked on top of each other and connected by a long tube. When the top pot is full, water flows down to the lower pots in order. At some point, the last pot is full and creates a pressure in the pot that is released suddenly, causing a whistling sound similar to boiling water.
(Photo source: Hellenic Museum)
Another type of clock that was popular in the ancient world was the candle clock. People would calculate how long a candle would burn and then hammer a nail into the appropriate spot. When the candle melted at the nail, the nail would fall onto a metal base and make a loud noise, thus waking the sleeper. Candle clocks were used until at least the 18th century.
(Photo source: Wikipedia Commons)
Hire a wake up caller
When alarm clocks first appeared, the cost issue forced people to choose a cheaper method and that was to hire a wake-up caller. In the 1970s, alarm workers in Britain and Ireland would knock on people’s doors until they woke up and answered. Some even whistled or played musical instruments to wake up several people at once.
Xuan Mai (Synthesis)
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