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Mathematical Treasure: Brugsch on Ancient Egyptian Numbers

Author(s): 
Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University)

Henrich Brugsch (1827-1894) was a German Egyptologist and a pioneer in the transcription and translation of Demotic script. Among his many books was Numerorum apud Veteres Aegyptios (1849). This was the first modern study of the Egyptian numeration system. Brugsch collected his data from papyrus writings and stone inscriptions.

The information on Egyptian numerals is supported by five tables of script illustrations. This is Table II from the collection.

This material was obtained through the courtesy of the Peabody Library of Johns Hopkins University.

Index to Mathematical Treasures

Frank J. Swetz (The Pennsylvania State University), "Mathematical Treasure: Brugsch on Ancient Egyptian Numbers," Convergence (July 2016)