Roman systems. However, the number 60 was represented by the same symbol as the number 1 and, because they lacked an equivalent of the decimal point, the actual place value of a symbol often had to be inferred from the context. Thus, represents 60 plus 23, or 83. "Keeping Time: Why 60 Minutes?" They mapped stars into sets of constellations and were aware of the five planets that are easily visible to the naked eye. What is the origin of the legend of the Christed Son who was born of a virgin on December 25th? A Visual Tour (Video), Behind the Scenes of Ancient Greece: Exploring the Daily Life of its People (Video), Trove of Ancient Artifacts Discovered in Paestum Include Dolphin Statuette of Eros, TheiaGreek Goddess of Light, the Sun, the Moon, and Wisdom, Greeces East Attica In Antiquity: Playground Of Gods, Heroes And Heroines, A Face to the Legend: The Quest to Reconstruct Cleopatra's Look (Video), Aspasia - The Real-Life Helen of Troy? c. 5000 BCE Evidence of burial in Sumer . The Sumerians initially favored the number 60 because it was so easily divisible. In the Chinese calendar, a system is commonly used, in which days or years are named by positions in a sequence of ten stems and in another sequence of 12 branches. Like modern mathematics uses the decimal system based on the number 10, the Sumerians mainly used a sexigesimal structure that was based around groupings of 60. http://www.livescience.com/44964-why-60-minutes-in-an-hour.html. As in Egypt, Sumerian mathematics initially developed largely as a response to bureaucratic needs when their civilization settled and developed agriculture (possibly as early as the 6th millennium BCE) for the measurement of plots of land, the taxation of individuals, etc. Neolithic Stone Balls: The Northern Rosetta Stone? We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Sumer was first settled by humans from 4500 to 4000 B.C., though it is probable that some settlers arrived much earlier. Thus, a measurement of time such as 3:23:17 (3 hours, 23 minutes, and 17 seconds) can be interpreted as a whole sexagesimal number (no sexagesimal point), meaning 3 602 + 23 601 + 17 600 seconds. When the two groups traded together, they evolved a system based on 60 so both could understand it.. Sumerian math was a sexagesimal system, meaning it was based on the number 60. The details and even the magnitudes implied (since zero was not used consistently) were idiomatic to the particular time periods, cultures, and quantities or concepts being represented.