Mathematics And Anthropology

1 Pages 179 Words

Mathematics and Anthropology

The ancient Mayans, for instance, used a base number of twenty in their calculations, twenty being the total number of digits on the human body. Their written system of numerals made working with twenty fairly easy – four horizontal bars above one another represented twenty units of five each, with individual units represented by a dot. Fourteen was thus denoted as two bars with four dots above. Counting systems based on units of five and twenty have also been found in Papua New Guinea. Other cultural traditions have used varying methods of counting, some by twos, some by fours, up until sixty, as with the ancient Sumerians.

Mathematics is used, consciously or not, in a variety of cultural activities: in the creation and ornamentation of architectural structures; in figuring kin relations; in activities such as sewing, weaving, and beading; in hunting and navigation; in agricultural work such as laying out plots or understanding weather patterns and seasonal scheduling; in cooking and trade; in recreational activities such as gambling and gaming; as well as in spiritual symbolism....