TRANSCRIBER’S NOTE Italic text is denoted by _underscores_. Footnote anchors are denoted by [number], and the footnotes have been placed at the end of the book. A decimal fraction of a second, printed in very small font in the original book, is denoted by =equalsigns=, for example 9.=34= secs. A superscript is denoted by ^x or ^{xx}, for example N^2 or IV^{me}. In the Footnotes a reference to a second or third edition of a book is denoted by ² or ³, for example: Schrader, II³. This book has many Greek words, which should display correctly on most devices. Some other less common characters are also used. These will display on this device as ð eth character Þ thorn character ǫ o with ogonek ȱ o with dot and macron å a with ring above ă a with breve ā ī ō a, i, o with macron ǎ č ř š ž a, c, r, s, z with caron Some minor changes to the text are noted at the end of the book. SKRIFTER UTGIVNA AV HUMANISTISKA VETENSKAPSSAMFUNDET I LUND ACTA SOCIETATIS HUMANIORUM LITTERARUM LUNDENSIS I. _MARTIN P. NILSSON_ PRIMITIVE TIME-RECKONING PRIMITIVE TIME-RECKONING A STUDY IN THE ORIGINS AND FIRST DEVELOPMENT OF THE ART OF COUNTING TIME AMONG THE PRIMITIVE AND EARLY CULTURE PEOPLES BY MARTIN P. NILSSON PROFESSOR OF CLASSICAL ARCHÆOLOGY AND ANCIENT HISTORY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF LUND SECRETARY TO THE SOCIETY LETTERS OF LUND MEMBER OF THE R. DANISH ACADEMY [Illustration] LUND, C. W. K. GLEERUP LONDON, HUMPHREY MILFORD PARIS, EDOUARD CHAMPION OXFORD, UNIVERSITY PRESS LEIPZIG, O. HARRASSOWITZ 1920 LUND 1920 BERLINGSKA BOKTRYCKERIET PREFACE.