Tally Sticks from the Paleolithic Era: The Ishango Bone
The Ishango Bone is a prehistoric tally stick discovered near the headwaters of the Nile River. Estimated to be about 20,000 years old, it dates back to the Upper Paleolithic period. The bone is engraved with a series of notches, which historians believe were used for counting, tracking time, or simple arithmetic.
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