Ishango Bone: Meet the oldest calculator in the world

The so-called Ishango bones were found by archaeologists in the region that, at the time of the find, corresponded to Zaire - the present Democratic Republic of Congo. It is a baboon bone with a very curious particularity: carvings that suggest the first "calculator" used by mankind, approximately 18, 000 years ago (and not 9, 000 years, as originally believed).

The artifact was forged during the Upper Paleolithic, by a society that eventually was pushed out of the territory by volcanic action. What piqued the scientists' curiosity, however, was the way the scratches were laid out on Ishango's Bone.

There are columns where, of course, the values ​​double - two and four, three and six. Finally, there is a column where from 10 goes to 5 notches, in a division, therefore. There is also a column with all prime numbers between 10 and 20, and finally one with only multiple numbers of 12.

What is it for anyway?

Despite the obviousness about the mathematical patterns found in Ishango Bone, scientists have not come to a definitive resolution on the original utility of the artifact. There is talk of a tool for exploring the limits of mathematics, of course.

However, the possibility of a didactic tool has not been excluded and, in fact, some consider it to be some form of menstrual calendar recording. Or is it just an amazing coincidence from an extensive search for patterns? Hard to determine ... But you can take your opinion below.

* Originally posted 23/07/2013 .

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