The abacus came before written numbers
In ancient civilizations, the abacus predated written numbers, showing how early humans tackled complex calculations with physical tools, not just symbols.
Surprisingly, the abacus, a clever tool for calculations, likely existed in some ancient societies before people wrote down numbers. Archaeological finds suggest the earliest abacus appeared in Mesopotamia around 2400 BCE, using clay tablets for counting. This means practical math tools helped with trade and daily life long before standardized numerical symbols were common.
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