General Resources
Lecture Slides
Lecture Slides
Posted after each session
Explore
Timeline of Mathematics
Mathigon — An interactive history of mathematical ideas
Meeting 1 — From the Origins of Counting to Number Systems
Reading
How Did Neandertals and Other Ancient Humans Learn to Count?
Barras, Colin. Scientific American Mind, vol. 32, no. 5, 2021, pp. 25–29.
An Introduction to the History of Mathematics
Eves, Howard. The first chapter discusses number systems.
Podcasts
Nature's Numbers I
BBC Radio — Is our mathematical ability innate or acquired?
Nature's Numbers II
BBC Radio — Continuation of the series
The Ishango Bone
Ishango bone — click to view interactive 3D model on Sketchfab. Joeykentin, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Meeting 2 — Mathematics in Ancient Egypt
Primary Sources
Rhind Mathematical Papyrus — Photo credit British Museum
Rhind Mathematical Papyrus — British Museum
Photos: Part I and Part II
A Translation and Commentary of the Rhind Papyrus
Robbins, Gay and Charles Schute, 1987. Free with Internet Archive account.
The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus, Vol. I
Chace, Arnold Buffum, 1927. Egyptian mathematics discussed in general.
The Rhind Mathematical Papyrus — MAA edition
Chace, Arnold Buffum, 1929. Photos of each problem with translation.
Learning Materials
Egyptian Mathematics
Open University, UK
Ancient Egypt 101
Video — National Geographic
Old Multiplication and Reciprocals Tablets
By Anthony Phillips, AMS
Interactive
Volume of a Truncated Pyramid
GeoGebra app
Approximation of the Area of the Circle
GeoGebra app
Write Your Name in Egyptian Hieroglyphics
Just for fun — Penn Museum
Meeting 3 — Ancient Mesopotamian Mathematics
Primary Sources — Interactive Tablets
You can drag and rotate each tablet in 3D.
The Area of a Circle tablet
Sketchfab — IPCH Digitization Lab, Yale
The Area of a Trapezoid tablet
Sketchfab — IPCH Digitization Lab, Yale
The Diagonal of a Square tablet
Sketchfab — IPCH Digitization Lab, Yale
Learning Materials
Babylonian Mathematics
Open University, UK
The Ancient Secrets Revealed by Deciphered Tablets
Video — BBC Ideas
Old Multiplication and Reciprocals Tablets
By Anthony Phillips, AMS
Ancient Babylonian Astronomers Were Tracking Planets Using Advanced Math
Smithsonian Magazine
Don't Fall for Babylonian Trigonometry Hype
Lamb, Evelyn. Scientific American, 2017.
How to Write Cuneiform
How to Write Cuneiform
British Museum blog
Writing Cuneiform Numbers
Numberphile video
Write Your Name in Cuneiform
Just for fun — Penn Museum