The Ishango Bone, A Bone That Counts
The Ishango Bone is one of the oldest known mathematical artefacts in the world. Discovered in the 1950s near the headwaters of the Nile in the Democratic Republic of Congo, it dates back at least 22,000 years. That’s older than the pyramids, older than writing, and even older than agriculture. Yet etched into this small, carved bone are patterns that clearly reflect mathematical thinking.
The bone itself is a fibula (leg bone) from a baboon. It has three distinct columns of notches carved into its surface, arranged in deliberate groups. These markings are not random. They suggest early humans were tracking numbers, doubling values, identifying prime numbers, and possibly even using a base-12 counting system. In short, it shows that mathematical awareness — far from being a recent invention — has deep roots in African soil.
Mathematics Began in the Mind
What the Ishango Bone tells us is that mathematics didn’t begin with computers or textbooks — it began in the human mind, as a way of making sense of patterns in nature, time, and the world. Whether counting days, tracking the phases of the Moon, or recording trade, early humans needed ways to mark and measure.
The notches on the Ishango Bone suggest people were already experimenting with groupings, order, and structure, which are the foundations of mathematics today. It may have been used as a calendar, a tally stick, or even a teaching tool. Whatever its specific purpose, it reflects abstract thought — and a culture that valued it.
Africa at the Centre, Not the Edge
Too often, Africa is left out of mainstream stories about the history of science and mathematics. But the Ishango Bone is a powerful reminder that Africa was not only involved — it was leading. This artefact predates the mathematical records of ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia. It challenges the idea that advanced thinking only emerged in Greece or the Middle East.
For children of African descent, learning about the Ishango Bone is more than history — it’s a statement of inheritance. The desire to reason, measure, and understand is not foreign to them. It is part of their intellectual ancestry.
Reclaiming the Narrative
Recognising the Ishango Bone and other African contributions helps dismantle the myth that mathematics is “not for us”. It helps Black children see that curiosity, innovation, and precision are traits that run deep in their lineage. They are not outsiders to the world of logic and number — they are natural participants, with roots in one of the oldest mathematical traditions on Earth.
By grounding our children in this knowledge, we don’t just teach them maths. We teach them pride, perspective, and possibility.
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Ishango Bone: The oldest mathematical artefact in the world
