The Lebombo bone, the oldest known mathematical tool, has 29 distinct notches that were deliberately cut.
The bone tool, made from a baboon fibula, was discovered in the Lebombo Mountains, located between South Africa and Eswatini.
The bone is between 44,200 and 43,000 years old, according to 24 radiocarbon datings.
Many Archaeologists believe that the Lebombo bone is a tally stick, a device used to record and document numbers, quantities and messages.
Another view is that it may have been used as a lunar phase counter for menstrual cycles (The Universal Book of Mathematics, 2004).
However, the Lebombo bone is likely the first mathematical object in the world.
 |
| The Ishango bone is on permanent exhibition at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences |