Pre-historic, Babylonian, Sumerian Mathematics

• Pre-historic math generally refers to the mathematical knowledge and practices of ancient that existed before recorded history.
• Earliest evidence of mankind thinking about numbers from noted bones in Africa dating back to 35,000 to 20,000 years ago.
• Ishango bone is a piece of wooden tally sick found in Zaire in 1950. It is believed to be the oldest artifact. It has length of 20 centimeters and used to early method of record keeping.
• Notches on the Ishango bone correspond to a base-60 numeral system. It was discovered by Jean De Heinzelin.
• Jean De Heinzelin is a Belgian geologist born on August 6, 1920 and died on November 4, 1998. He discovered Ishango bone in 1950.

  
• Named for its rich soils, the fertile crescent, often called the “cradle of civilization,” is found in the Middle East. Because of this region's relatively abundant access to water, the earliest civilizations were established in the Fertile Crescent, including the Sumerians.
• Cuneiform script is the writing system that was developed in ancient times which is more than 5,000 years ago.
• The word "cuneiform" comes from Latin words meaning wedge shaped or wedge form.
• Sexagesimal system was originated with the Sumerian then passed down by Babylonians.
• Sexagesimal is also known as 60 base, which could be counted physically using the twelve knuckles on one hand and the five fingers on the other hand
• Sexagesimal was so functional so the 60 seconds for 1 minute and 60 minutes for 1 hour and the 360 degrees also came from 60 base. The Babylonians also developed another revolutionary mathematical concept, something else that the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans did not have, a circle character for zero. Although this symbol were really still more of a placeholder than a number.