Solomons in Calvert County, Maryland — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
This Is A Sundial
Before the invention of the clock, the sundial was the only way of telling time. The earliest sundial dates from 1500 BC in Egypt. Here, we have created a human sundial. The compass rose in the center shows North from where you are standing. During the day, the sun moves across the sky from East to West. Morning hours are the blocks on your left. The early afternoon hours are the blocks on your right. Late afternoon and evening hours are behind you. The months of the year are set up so that as the seasons change and the position of the sun changes, your shadow will consistently fall on the appropriate hour.
The gnomon is the part of the sundial that sticks up and casts a shadow to tell the time. On this sundial, you are the gnomon.
To use the sundial:
Stand on the proper stepping stone for the month and face North as indicated by the compass rose.
Hope your arms above your head with your hands together and fingers pointed skyward.
The number your shadow falls on is the approximate time of day.
🟦 Time Numbers
🟥 Compass Rose
🟨 Months of Year
Erected by Calvert Marine Museum.
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Anthropology & Archaeology • Communications. A significant historical year for this entry is 1500 BCE.
Location. 38° 19.898′ N, 76° 27.915′ W. Marker is in Solomons, Maryland, in Calvert County. It is on Solomons Island Road South south of Lore Road, on the right when traveling north. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 14130 Solomons Island Rd S, Solomons MD 20688, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Southern Maryland. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once one of the original Thirteen Colonies and also the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Honor Tree (within shouting distance of this marker); Perils along the Patuxent (within shouting distance of
Other markers no longer nearby. Anchor (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed); a different marker also named Anchor (was within shouting distance of this marker but has been permanently removed).
Credits. This page was last revised on November 3, 2025. It was originally submitted on November 3, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 32 times since then and 11 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on November 3, 2025, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
