First, illu, what is important to know is that a semitone is a semitone-whether diatonic or chromatic, a semitone is always two notes which are one half step apart (like you said, neighbor keys on the piano). or b signs by themselves do not indicate that the note is chromatic. In my opinion there are two main approaches (based on my experience) to understanding what the 'term' diatonic means: 1. Related to the scale construction suggesting that it is built using both whole tones and semitones. Hence the prefix 'dia'.
The invention of such portable sundials shows how important it was for the ancient Egyptians to keep time. At the same time, sundials were only effective given enough sunlight. To tell time at night the Egyptians invented the water clock. The first water clocks appeared during the reign of Amenhotep I. It was a stone bowl filled with water at precise time of the day. It had slanting sides and a small hole at the bottom trough which water dripped at a constant rate.
Abstract. 1  Timekeeping was essential in the agricultural society of ancient China. The use of sundials for timekeeping was associated with the use of the gnomon, which had its origin in remote antiquity. 2  Timekeeping was essential in the agricultural society of ancient China.