COLOR: History of Mathemathics in Africa

History of Mathematics in Africa

The Sphinx

Introduction

For tens of thousands of years, Africa was in the center of mathematics history. From the civilizations of southern, central and northern Africa came contributions which would enrich both ancient and modern understanding of nature through math and science (see Map of Africa). From the measurement used in the African forest kingdoms, and the mathematics used in building the great stone complexes of Zimbabwe, to the efficient irrigation technologies, central administration, and the great accuracy of the dimensions of the pyramids, the achievements of Africans still give rise to wonder.

Despite great achievements, there are still negative images of Africa and Africans worlwide (see Misconceptions About Africa). In opposing these myths, Nwankwo Ezeabasili (1977) argues that African science is "African account of nature and how it works." He goes on to say that "...the black African has an authentic scientific culture." Africans were among the first humans to raise crops and to domesticate cattle 15,000 years ago (Van Sertima 1984). "...between 17,000 and 18,500 years ago while ice still covered much of Europe - African peoples were already raising crops of wheat, barley, lentils , chick- peas, capers and dates" (Wendorf, Schild & Close 1984). See Time Line of African History.

Pappademos (1985) gave examples of Egyptian contributions to science such as the 365 day calendar based on astronomical observations, the sundial, water clocks, a device to measure stellar azimuths, knowledge of constellations, the methods used to precisely align the pyramids and temples, astronomy texts, prediction of eclipses, discovery of the spherical shape of the earth, precession of the equinoxes and the heliocentric theory. The Egyptians contributed to other civilizations, including Greek, Roman, Arabian, and European; see History of Mathematics in Egypt. Women are also deeply involved in math and science in Africa (see African Female Mathematicians).

In Ivan Van Sertima's (1984) book Blacks in Science: Ancient and Modern, countless examples of African science from articles by several different authors are given. A few examples are listed below:

1. The Dogon of Mali had an excellent understanding of the solar system and the universe 700 years ago. The Dogon had detailed knowledge of a white dwarf companion star to Sirius A which was not visible to the naked eye. Western scientists stated that there was no way that the Dogon could have uncovered this knowledge on their own and that it must have been supplied to them by a visiting European or an extra- terrestrial visitor.

2. The Yoruba tribe had an exceedingly complex number system based on twenty.

3. A 35,000 year old, fossilized baboon bone found in Zaire, the Ishango bone, is covered with a series of notches or tally marks, which makes it the oldest mathematical object in the world, and the world's earliest number system. The bone is also a lunar phase counter, which suggest that African women were the first mathematicians since keeping track of menstrual cycles requires a lunar calendar.

4. There was a very accurate calendar system in Eastern Africa by the first millenium B.C. (Lynch & Robbins 1984).

5. A megalithic site similar to stonehenge dating to 300 B.C. was found in northwest Kenya. Its nineteen basalt pillars were aligned extremely accurately with the stars and constellations (Lynch & Robbins 1984).

6. A model of a glider dated to the 4th or 3rd century B.C. was found in Egypt. The structure of the object was most definitely aerodynamically designed (Messiha et al. 1984).

7. An iron-ore mine in Swaziland, the oldest found in the world, was dated as 43,000 years old. The ore specularite was used as a cosmetic and pigment (Zaslavsky 1984).

8. Africans developed technology to build sea-worthy boats and the ability to navigate over long expanses of ocean . There is ample evidence to suggest that African explorers reached South and Central America long before Columbus made his journeys (Malloy 1984).

9. 1500 to 2000 years ago near Lake Victoria, carbon steel was made in blast furnaces. The temperature achieved in the furnaces, 1,800C, was much higher than was managed in Europe until modern times (Van Sertima 1984).

10. By the year 1000 AD, in the Middle East, Ibn al-Haytham, a Muslim mathematician and astronomer, was studying atmospheric refraction, and by the 1100s a fellow Muslim, geographer Abu Abdallah Muhammad al-Idrisi, divided the world into seven climatic zones. Climate changes have long since tuned vast savannas and grasslands bodering Africa’s Sahara into desert. Translations of Arabic texts into Latin help spread knowledge of such instruments as the astrolabe.

Ancient African Numerals

Mathematics in Africa started much earlier from the first written numerals of ancient Egypt around 3100 BC. Ancient African calendars made use of numbers and calculation at an early stage. Ancient Africans also discovered and use the concept of zero (see The Discovery of Zero), and wrote several texts on math and other subjects.

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