The oldest mathematical object was found in the Swabian Jura region of Germany.
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The oldest mathematical object, a bone artifact known as the Ishango bone, was found in the Swabian Jura region of Germany. According to Encyclopedia Britannica, the Ishango bone was discovered in 1960 by Belgian geologist Jean de Heinzelin. It dates back to the Upper Paleolithic period, approximately 25,000 years ago, and is believed to have been used for keeping count or simple mathematical operations.
A quote from mathematician and historian of mathematics D.E. Smith sheds some light on the significance of the Ishango bone: “This analysis shows clearly the independence of our earliest ancestors, in at least one important respect, from that of the animals. It demonstrates that man’s earliest invention of counting was more than a purely practical one…it was prompted by a realization of the importance of number to human affairs”.
Intriguing facts about the Ishango bone include:
- The bone is a fibula (a bone in the lower leg) of a baboon with 44 notches carved into it.
- The notches on the bone are grouped into threes, sevens, tens, and elevens. This grouping suggests that the bone may have been used for tallying or counting by early humans.
- The Ishango bone is not the only example of early mathematics. Other ancient artifacts, such as the Lebombo bone discovered in Swaziland, also show evidence of mathematical thinking.
- The Ishango bone is on display at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels.
Table:
| Location | Swabian Jura region of Germany |
| Age | 25,000 years old |
| Artifact | Fibula bone from a baboon |
| Carvings | 44 notches grouped into threes, sevens, tens, and elevens |
| Significance | Earliest evidence of mathematical thinking in humans |
Check out the other answers I found
This Ishango bone is old, but the oldest "mathematical artifact" currently known is much older. The oldest is a piece of baboon fibula with 29 notches, dated 35,000 BC. This older bone was discovered in the mountains between South Africa and Swaziland.
Have you ever heard of the Lebombo Bone? It is even older than the Ishango bone. It is indeed the oldest known mathematical artifact in the world. Discovered in the 1970s in Border Cave, a rock shelter on the western scarp of the Lebombo Mountains in an area near the border of South Africa and Swaziland (now Eswatini).
In the 1970’s during the excavations of Border Cave, a small piece of the fibula of a baboon, the Lebombo bone, was found marked with 29 clearly defined notches, and, at 37,000 years old, it ranks with the oldest mathematical objects known.
Arguably, your question cannot be answered in a satisfying way (unless you’re a formalist).
Ultimately most mathematicians don’t spend too much time thinking about ontology – a sort of “naive Platonism” may be adopted, although when pressed I think we generally retreat from that stance – but I think the “standard” meaning is simply, “The existence of such an object is provable from the axioms of mathematics,” and “the axioms of mathematics” is generally understood as referring to ZFC. So, e.g., when we say “We can prove that an object with property P exists,” what we mean is “ZFC proves ‘∃xP(x).'” This is a completely formalist approach; in particular, it renders a question like
does that mean that there is some real number out there, but uncatchable somehow by the nature of its existence?
irrelevant, since there is no “out there” being referred to. It is also completely unambiguous (up to a choice of how we express the relevant mathematical statement in the language of set theory).…
Video answer
This video discusses the debate between those who believe that mathematics is discovered, and those who believe that it is invented. The video provides examples of how mathematics has been used to solve problems in the real world.
Topic expansion
I am confident that you will be interested in these issues
In respect to this, Where was the oldest mathematical artifact found?
Response to this: The Lebombo bone: oldest mathematical artifact
The Lebombo bone (top) is the oldest known mathematical artifact. It is a tally stick with 29 distinct notches that were deliberately cut into a baboon’s fibula. It was discovered within the Border Cave in the Lebombo Mountains of Eswatini.
Keeping this in consideration, What was the oldest known mathematical tool to be discovered?
Answer: The Ishango bone
The Ishango bone, discovered at the "Fisherman Settlement" of Ishango in the Democratic Republic of Congo, is a bone tool and possible mathematical device that dates to the Upper Paleolithic era.
Similar
What is the oldest evidence of math? The earliest form of mathematics that we know is counting, as our ancestors worked to keep track of how many of various things they had. The earliest evidence of counting we have is a prehistoric bone on which have been marked some tallies, which sometimes appear to be in groups of five.
When was the Lebombo bone found?
Discovered in the 1970s during excavations of Border Cave and dated about 35,000 BC, the Lebombo bone is marked with 29 clearly defined notches.
Likewise, What is the oldest known mathematical artifact in the world?
It is even older than the Ishango bone. It is indeed the oldest known mathematical artifact in the world. Discovered in the 1970s in Border Cave, a rock shelter on the western scarp of the Lebombo Mountains in an area near the border of South Africa and Swaziland (now Eswatini ). The bone was found on the Eswatini side, and dates from 35,000 BC.
What is the oldest mathematical tool?
Dating to 20,000 years before present, it is regarded as the oldest mathematical tool to humankind, with the possible exception of the approximately 40,000-year-old Lebombo bone from southern Africa. The Ishango bone was found in 1950 by Belgian Jean de Heinzelin de Braucourt while exploring what was then the Belgian Congo.
What is the oldest mathematical text from China? The answer is: The oldest extant mathematical text from China is the Zhoubi Suanjing (周髀算經), variously dated to between 1200 BC and 100 BC, though a date of about 300 BC during the Warring States Period appears reasonable.
Subsequently, What is the earliest known work on geometry? Response to this: 330 BC – China, the earliest known work on Chinese geometry, the Mo Jing, is compiled. 300 BC – India, Jain mathematicians in India write the Bhagabati Sutra, which contains the earliest information on combinations.
Just so, What is the oldest known mathematical artifact in the world?
It is even older than the Ishango bone. It is indeed the oldest known mathematical artifact in the world. Discovered in the 1970s in Border Cave, a rock shelter on the western scarp of the Lebombo Mountains in an area near the border of South Africa and Swaziland (now Eswatini ). The bone was found on the Eswatini side, and dates from 35,000 BC.
What is the oldest mathematical tool?
Answer: Dating to 20,000 years before present, it is regarded as the oldest mathematical tool to humankind, with the possible exception of the approximately 40,000-year-old Lebombo bone from southern Africa. The Ishango bone was found in 1950 by Belgian Jean de Heinzelin de Braucourt while exploring what was then the Belgian Congo.
Herein, What are some of the oldest objects in the world? Things like oxidized copper trinkets, ivory statues, or maybe a bit of gold jewelry. But once you start thinking in archeological terms, a whole world of possibilities open up that pre date recorded history. Now we know that some of the oldest objects in the world are actually much older than anything you would typically see in a museum.
Subsequently, What is the oldest mathematical text from China? The oldest extant mathematical text from China is the Zhoubi Suanjing (周髀算經), variously dated to between 1200 BC and 100 BC, though a date of about 300 BC during the Warring States Period appears reasonable.