Evolution

The abacus evolved along with the science of mathematics. In 1800 BC a Babylonian mathematician developed algorithms to resolve numerical problems with the help of the counting device, and the secrets of the new super-computing machine soon spread throughout the civilized world. The empires of China, Japan, and Rome used them. An early engineer in Egypt drilled holes in the pebbles and strung them on wire. This innovation, about 2,500 years ago, generated a huge increase in the speed of calculation.

The wire-frame abacus became more sophisticated in China, where it is called Suan Pan, and later in Japan, where it is called Soroban. In Europe, Pope Sylvester II devised an efficient abacus at the end of the first Millenium (1000AD.) Unsubtle Occidentals opted for a simple design, with one tier, and an empty wire to represent zero. The current European form of the abacus is Russian, with 10 beads in ten rows.

The Modern Abacus

Bead counters are still being manufactured in the USA and other countries. A beginner’s model has two rods of 9 beads, and is for children between the ages of five and seven. The Cranmer model, made of black and white high-impact plastic is a pocket-sized calculating device like ones used in Japan, and there is a coupling device that will link two Cranmers together for experts, and a large Cranmer designed for persons with limited manipulative or visual skills. All three abaci come with thoroughly modern video training tapes. The abacus is still part of the school curriculum in areas of the Far East, and is still used as a calculator.

Legacy of the Abacus

From small business deals between single individuals to the economies of large sophisticated civilizations, the humble abacus helped pull together the economic sinews of much of mankind for a long time. It allowed us to manipulate numbers and become as familiar and confident in their use as we are with words. It provided us with a solid stepping-stone to higher mathematics, and is a fitting ancestor to the powerful computer network that spans the globe today.

The abacus today survives as a usable tool, a collector’s item, an art form, and a reminder that our supercomputers still have viable ancestors that emerged at the dawn of civilization. A couple of links to this remarkable invention appear below.