Wiki #21: The Ishango Bone

The Ishango Bone is a baboon fibula with a sharp piece of quartz affixed to one end and notches along the length of the bone, that was discovered in the Belgian Congo, in the African area of Ishango, in 1960 by Jean de Heinzelin de Braucourt. It is first estimated to date back to around 9000-6500 BCE, but re-evaluation has led to belief that it is over 20,000 years old. Originally the Ishango Bone was thought to be a tally stick (an ancient tool used to document and aid in remembering numbers or messages) but it has also been theorized that the notches represent a mathematical tool, or that they were used to improved grip so the bone could be used as a tool. Currently the Ishango Bone is on display in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels, Belgium.