Info on the hourglass by sprovo

'm trying to cover some things that it seems fell through the cracks over the last day. Here are some facts on hourglasses from wiki that seem to fit the show.

History
Hourglasses are said to have been invented at Alexandria about the middle of the third century, where they were sometimes carried around just as people carry watches today.[2] It is speculated that it was in use in the 11th century, where it would have complemented the magnetic compass as an aid to navigation. Recorded evidence of their existence is found no earlier than the 14th century, the earliest being an hourglass appearing in the 1338 fresco Allegory of Good Government by Ambrogio Lorenzetti.[3] Written records from the same period mention the hourglass, and it appears in lists of ships stores. One of the earliest surviving records is a sales receipt of Thomas de Stetesham, clerk of the English ship La George, in 1345:

The same Thomas accounts to have paid at Lescluse, in Flanders, for twelve glass horologes (" pro xii. orlogiis vitreis "), price of each 4½ gross', in sterling 9s. Item, For four horologes of the same sort (" de eadem secta "), bought there, price of each five gross', making in sterling 3s. 4d.[4]

Practical uses

Hourglasses were the first dependable, reusable and reasonably accurate measure of time. The rate of flow of the sand is independent of the depth in the upper reservoir, and the instrument will not freeze.[5]

From the 15th century onwards, they were being used in a wide range of applications at sea, in the church, in industry and in cookery.

During the voyage of Ferdinand Magellan around the globe, his vessels kept 18 hourglasses per ship. It was the job of a ship's page to turn the hourglasses and thus provide the times for the ship's log. Noon was the reference time for navigation, which did not depend on the glass, as the sun would be at its zenith.[6] More than one hourglass was sometimes fixed in a frame, each with a different running time, for example 1 hour, 45 minutes, 30 minutes, and 15 minutes.

Largest sandglasses

The size of a sandglass is not necessarily the deciding factor for its running time. However, if its running time is to amount to several days or weeks, it will need to be fairly large. Two such giants include the Timewheel in Budapest and the sandglass at the sand museum in the Japanese city of Nima. At eight and six metres in height respectively and a running time of one year, they are among the world's largest chronometers. Another giant has been standing at the Red Square in Moscow since July 2008. At 11.90 m in height and weighing 40 tonnes, this is likely the largest sandglass in the world. By way of comparison the smallest sandglass in the world is just 2.4 cm high. It was made in 1992 at Hamburg and takes slightly less than 5 seconds for a single run through.[9]

Symbolic uses
Pirate Christopher Moody's "Bloody Red" jack, c. 1714

Unlike most other methods of measuring time, the hourglass concretely represents the present as being between the past and the future, and this has made it an enduring symbol of time itself.

The hourglass, sometimes with the addition of metaphorical wings, is often depicted as a symbol that human existence is fleeting, and that the "sands of time" will run out for every human life.[10] It was used thus on pirate flags, to strike fear into the hearts of the pirates' victims. In England, hourglasses were sometimes placed in coffins,[11] and they have graced gravestones for centuries.

Hourglass motif
Diagram of "hourglass" motif from carved stone tablet, Solomon Islands

Because of its symmetry, graphic signs resembling an hourglass are seen in the art of cultures which never encountered such objects. Vertical pairs of triangles joined at the apex are common in Native American art; both in North America,[12] where it can represent, for example, the body of the Thunderbird or (in more elongated form) an enemy scalp,[13][14] and in South America, where it is believed to represent a Chuncho jungle dweller.[15] In Zulu textiles they symbolise a married man, as opposed to a pair of triangles joined at the base, which symbolise a married woman.[16] Neolithic examples can be seen among Spanish cave paintings.[17][18] Observers have even given the name "hourglass motif" to shapes which have more complex symmetry, such as a repeating circle and cross pattern from the Solomon Islands.[19]

My opinion is the strongest connection that can be made here is that hourglasses were very important to sailing in our history and I think this should help to conclude that the people in the temple are from the Black Rock.

Also you'll see that hourglasses have a long history in Japan which bridges a connection with Dogan.

Another connection I'm seeing in in South America, where it is believed to represent a Chuncho jungle dweller

Hope more of you can make sense of this but don't be fooled, the hourglass has significance in one way or another.