Africa credited with a significant contribution to science.
Discovery of an ancient calculator predating Egyptian civilization.
Discovery of the Ishango Bone
Found in the 1950s by a Belgian archaeologist.
Location: Near Lake Edward at Ishango, on the Congo-Rwanda border.
Size: 10 cm (about 4 inches) piece of animal bone.
Features of the Ishango Bone
Contains groups of notches in three distinct columns.
Notches are organized, not random.
Replication of number sequences suggests knowledge of:
A base-10 number system.
A base-12 number system.
Multiplication.
Prime numbers.
A quartz piece at the tip may have been used for writing or engraving.
Significance of the Discovery
Suggests the existence of a highly advanced civilization in Central Africa 15,000 years before Egyptian culture.
Indicates Homo sapiens may have evolved mathematical activities in Central Africa.
The Ishango bone is evidence of the earliest mathematical activity in Africa.
Proposes that the numbering system influenced regions along the Nile and into West Africa.
Cultural and Historical Impact
The discovery has not been widely displayed; it remains in the archives of the Belgium Royal Institute of Natural Science.
The bone is considered valuable, yet underappreciated by being stored and not publicly exhibited.
Future Prospects
A film director plans to take the Ishango bone into space to create a documentary linking Africa's history with the future of mankind.
The European Space Agency is involved, with the bone already experiencing a practice parabolic flight in zero gravity.
This project draws a parallel to Stanley Kubrick's "2001: A Space Odyssey."
The Ishango bone may be displayed in space before being exhibited on Earth.
Conclusion
The Ishango bone embodies a blend of ancient history and modern technological ambition, potentially altering perceptions of Africa's historical role in mathematical development.