Ishango Bone: a 20000 years old african mathematical document !!!

The discoverer

His name is Jean de Heinzelin de Braucourt (August 1920 – November 1998). He was a Belgian archeologist (geologist) who worked mainly in Africa. In Belgium he worked at the Universities of Ghent and Brussels. When he discovered the Ishango Bone in Democratic republic of Congo in 1957 he became worldwide famous. Except in Africa he has worked also in Europe, US and Middle East.

The Belgian Museum of Science in Brussels described Jean de Braucourt as hard worker adventure and a remarkable observer. In 1998, in his death bed Jean de Hienzelin revealed the second Ishango bone. After his death some scientist began to work in that second bone. A study about this bone is done and published this year by Dirk Huylebrouck.

Mathematics

Regardless of the dispute about the purposes of the bone, it shows some mathematical understanding by people at that time. This is clear in the following paragraphs.

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