Where do numbers come from?

If somebody asked you “what is a number,” how would you answer them? You might describe a number by naming some of the ones that you know, such as one (1), two (2), twenty (20), or maybe even 50 (fifty)! Or maybe you’d try to describe how those numbers work, by saying that it’s a description of quantity (how many) or a way to represent unit. (One apple, two pears, twenty bananas, fifty mangoes!) 

The practice of grouping things into units and using a word or symbol to describe that quantity goes back to lots of Ancient civilizations. Think about some ways in which numbers are practical and people throughout history might have found themselves using them: To describe amounts (ten cows, three cousins, one tree), to talk about the passing of time (five days, six years, four mornings), to count up things they own (nine seashells) or want to divide (twelve berries), and more! – The use of whole numbers and systems for counting can be found in artifacts going back to Ancient cultures around the world – from Egypt to Greece to Mesopotamia to Mayans and more! 

As civilizations have advanced, numbers have become more complicated and their definition has evolved as math and technology have progressed. But basic counting seems to have come from the instinct and need to communicate and describe amounts!

Some of the oldest indications of the use of numbers are artifacts showing “tally marks.” Tally marks are usually single lines used to keep track of quantities. For example, if you decided to spend an afternoon in the yard seeing how many sparrows flew by, you could use tally marks to keep track! Each time you saw a sparrow, you would make one “tick” on your page. At the end of the day, you could count the number of tick-marks to get your total!