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@nikitonsky Ancient Near Eastern cultures counted to 12 on one hand by moving the thumb along the pattern of red numbers I’ve added to this image. To count higher, they’d add 12/finger on the other hand, which got them to 60 using both hands. Mesopotamian mathematicians codified this into a base-60 number system, which is why we have 60 minutes/60 seconds/360º (6 x 60), &c. (The one-handed 12 is also why the first Egyptian sundials had twelve divisions, so we have 12 hours/day.)

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