Did they refer to dates as B.C.? Or did they count things by being in "The Year of The Reign Of"? How did they know the number of years between events?
Hi, as it stands, your question is asking about every culture that ever existed anywhere - which falls afoul of our "example-seeking" rule for being too broad.
There are a few scattered examples in the FAQ that can get you started, but for substantial answers, specify the country/culture/region and time period that you're interested in.