Final answer:
Ancient cultures, such as the Babylonians and Egyptians, closely tracked solstices and equinoxes to develop calendars which informed planting and harvesting seasons. These celestial observations were crucial for agricultural planning and for timing significant events such as seasonal rains and river floods.
Step-by-step explanation:
For ancient civilizations, the regular tracking of solstices and equinoxes was a crucial element in establishing calendars and agricultural schedules. Babylonian priests were among the early recorders of these celestial events, realizing they were a reliable measure of the passage of seasons. From these observations, the first calendar systems were developed.
Tracking celestial events helped these cultures to not only plan agriculturally significant events, such as planting and harvesting seasons, but also informed them of seasonal changes that could affect crucial aspects of daily life. For example, the Egyptians timed the annual Nile flood based on celestial observations, which was essential for replenishing their farmlands.
Around the world, from the Mayan culture that based their calendar on the planet Venus to the Polynesians who navigated the vast Pacific Ocean by the stars, the monitoring of the skies was interwoven with practical needs such as navigation and agricultural activities as well as with religious and ritual functions.