Assyria 69, 80, 84, 86, 87, 88, 89, 90–1

astrolabes 154

astronomy 138

Arabic numerals and 154, 160, 161–2, 173–4

astronomical instruments 154

astronomical tables 148, 149, 154, 160, 162, 173–4

Babylonian astronomical number writing 83

cuneiform number symbols and 83

Mayan calendar 273, 278

punched-card machines and 217

Regensburg and 161–2

Sanskrit/Indian 138–9, 143, 145–6, 148, 149–50

Toledan 160–2, 173–4

Athens, ancient 2, 101–11, 103, 132

Athenian Council 109

money in 110

voting/democracy in 101–11, 103, 132

attention economy 223

Augustine, St 116

Aurelius, Emperor Marcus 112

aureus (gold piece) 112

Australia

aboriginal 51–2, 226, 227–34, 240–1, 242, 250, 252

Anindilyakwa and 227–34

humans reach 43, 231

languages of 226, 231, 232–4, 250

New Guinea and 235–6, 238

Oksapmin people and 240–1, 242, 250, 252

weather journals in 175

Austronesian languages 226, 250–1

Averroes 151

Ayangkidarrba (Groote Eylandt) 227–30, 228, 233

Aztecs 278

Babylon 83, 85, 86, 87

Bacon, Francis 174, 179

Baghdad 142, 148, 149, 155, 170

ballot tokens, Athenian 101–5, 103

bar-and-dot numerals 277, 278

bark 145, 150, 228, 236, 261, 264, 272

barometer 177, 179

base numbers

Arabic numerals and 184

Australian languages and 233, 234

base-5 60, 230

base-10 60–1, 184, 233

base-60 81, 83, 86, 95

defined 60

finger counting and 60–1

hieroglyphic script and 95

hunter-gatherer groups of the African Stone Age and 60–1