EARLY COUNTING
AND CALCULATING DEVICES
Why were counting devices developed?
Early counting devices were developed for a logical reason: to allow people to count
items in order to trade or to keep track of stock, such as cattle. They also used simple
counting devices to keep track of the seasons (mostly for agriculture—in other words,
to know when to plant), and for religious reasons, such as marking days for certain
feasts. (For more about counting in ancient times, see “History of Mathematics.”)
What were some early counting devices?
The very earliest counting devices were human hands, with the fingers used as digits.
There were limitations to this device, though, especially since each hand only has five
fingers. To count more items, some cultures assigned even larger counts to other
parts of the body. Such counting methods became tedious, so merchants and others
who needed to keep track of assorted items turned to nature, using sticks, stones, and
bones to count.
Eventually, devices called counting boards were developed. At first, the counting
“boards” were simple, usually entailing drawing lines with fingers or a stylus in the sand
or dirt. After all, merchants at outdoor markets needed to count items and calculate the
cost of the goods in order to sell, and there was always plenty of sand and dirt at hand.
Portable boards made of wood, stone, or metal soon became more popular, with
carved (or even painted) grooves or lines indicating units. These counting boards soon
became more sophisticated, with beads, pebbles, or metal discs moved between the 347
MATH IN
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