# Ancient counting systems

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-counting-systems/625097>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 14, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-counting-systems/625097 "2012-06-14T01:30:41Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![davidmich](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e56c9b/32.png) [@davidmich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidmich)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-counting-systems/625097/1 "2012-06-14T01:30:41Z")

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I found this description on a Straight Dope site, but there appears to be something wrong with the phrasing. “And the outside surfaces of each hand, two per hand. That gives six counting points per hand “（see full quotation below”) The four spaces between the fingers I understand. Where are the other sites on the surface of the hand that make up 6 counting points per hand?  
“The ancients counted on the spaces between the fingers. four spaces per hand, eight total. And the outside surfaces of each hand, two per hand. That gives six counting points per hand and twelve total. For them base twelve is equally natural.”

davidmich

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**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-counting-systems/625097/2 "2012-06-14T01:37:11Z")

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Each hand has a palm and a back of the hand. Seems weird to me but so does wearing a bedsheet wrapped around my torso so what do I know.

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**Author:** ![OldGuy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/3bc359/32.png) [@OldGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldGuy)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 2:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-counting-systems/625097/3 "2012-06-14T02:06:50Z")

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I suspect it’s not the palm and back of the hand but rather the following. If your left hand is palm down count outside (to the left of the pinky) as 1. Count the spaces between the fingers as 2 through 5. Count the space outside (to the right of) the thumb as 6.

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**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 2:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-counting-systems/625097/4 "2012-06-14T02:17:41Z")

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That still seems weird. They didn’t get the concept of nothing as a value but could conceptualize it as a unit for counting? How odd.

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**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\
**Post date:** [June 14, 2012, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-counting-systems/625097/5 "2012-06-14T03:21:14Z")

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Reported, because the OP seems identical to [this one](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=655180).