c. 1800 BCEReputable source · 2 sourcesWell documented
Babylonian and Egyptian Mathematics
On the timeline · around c. 1800 BCE · Ancient Mathematics
What happened
The earliest advanced mathematics arose in the great river-valley civilizations. Babylonian scribes worked in a sophisticated base-60 (sexagesimal) system, solved quadratic equations, and knew the relationship later called the Pythagorean theorem. Egyptian mathematics, recorded on papyri, mastered fractions and the geometry needed to survey land and raise the pyramids.
Why it matters
Babylonian base-60 still governs how we measure time and angles, and these ancient traditions of practical calculation and geometry were the foundation on which all later mathematics was built.
Sources
Related timelines
- Ancient Mesopotamia → — The base-60 mathematics of Babylon