I'm interested to find out what churches used to call the faithful to services before the widespread manufacture of bronze church bells.
I can imagine something less costly and time-consuming to manufacture would have been used, but what exactly was used?
Did some use horns modeled after the ram's horn rabbis use to call people to synagogues in the Jewish tradition, or did they always use something completely different?
Edit: Sorry for being vague, I'm asking specifically about church services from Late Antiquity (when Christianity became more widespread, ca. 4th/5th century) to the Late Middle Ages (the earliest time there were church bells manufactured widely, ca. 13th or 14th century).
Before Christianity was a permitted religion in Rome most services were held at or immediately after Sunset, similar to Post-Temple Judaism, except the principle service of the week would take place at sundown on Saturday night. (Remember that Judaism regards a day as sunset to sunset.)
Once Christianity was a licit religion they relied on decidedly low tech means. Most every church would have had some form of a door keeper who was charged with making sure that the faithful were allowed in during the Eucharist and the unbaptized were kept out. They would serve as a marker for the community.
In relatively quiet small towns a group of people singing and copious amounts of incense were sure to attract attention. It's important to note that services would often last for hours, with some Masses at St. Augustine's Church in Hippo lasting for more than three hours with a free flow of people in and out during the service of the word. Our punctual, time-controlled services would be mind boggling to an Early Christian.
Once liturgies became more formalized in places where there was a Benedictine community services became tied to specific hours of the day as reckoned from Sunrise. Eucharist would typically happen at or just before Sunrise, with smaller services of prayer held at the 3rd, 6th and 9th hours following. There would be a service of evening prayer around sunset and private prayers before bed.
If you ever get the chance to spend any amount of time with a Monastic community you get the sense really quick that these guys don't need the bells. The rhythm is so stable and predictable that in a lot of ways it becomes circadian, and the pattern of worship simply becomes ingrained in the community.
I'm assuming that they would listen for the clock tower striking?