How Did Ancient People Count Without Numbers?

People used things around them to count before numbers existed. Like using pebbles, sticks, or even their fingers. If you had a lot of sheep, you could put one stick for each sheep, no need for actual numbers! It was like having a little helper that counted for you.

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Examples

A farmer uses stones to count his cows, one stone per cow.
A child draws lines on a wall to remember how many toys she has.
A trader puts pebbles in a pouch for each item he sells.

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Categories: History · Ancient History,Mathematics,Counting Systems