The Abacus
The world's first computing device.
Explore this event on the interactive timeline →First used by the Sumerians in Mesopotamia, the abacus is a mechanical counting frame that allowed for rapid addition and subtraction long before the invention of written numeric systems. It established the fundamental concept of using physical states to represent and manipulate abstract numeric values.
Verified Facts
- The earliest abacuses were just lines drawn in the sand with pebbles used as counters. (The word "calculus" comes from the Latin word for pebble).
- Different cultures developed their own versions independently, including the Chinese suanpan and the Roman hand abacus.
- In the hands of an expert, an abacus can be faster for basic arithmetic than an electronic calculator.