Although there are some who claim that the Ancient Chinese invented the abacus during the Ming dynasty (1368 – 1644 CE), the use of a tool for counting things began a long time before the Ming dynasty.
While the Chinese may not have invented the abacus, we may have received the modern look of an abacus from China.
The First Abacus
As far back as the Sumarian culture in Mesopotamia (2700 – 2300 BCE), and possibly before, tools were used for counting. Pebbles or small rocks were placed on the ground, on tablets or on tables containing lines or marks. Simple arithmetic such as addition and subtraction was performed using these tools.
The Ancient Chinese most likely used similar tables and pebbles for counting during this same time.
Over time, ancient people moved from using the dirt on the ground and pebbles to wooden frames and beads and sometimes semi-precious stone such as jade. Counting tools resembling an abacus have even been found in Mesoamerican ruins in South America.
Many cultures, including Western Europe, used the abacus for counting until quite recently.
Today, people in Russia, Japan and China continue to use it as a counting tool.
The Meaning of the Word Abacus
The word abacus is not a Chinese word.
The Ancient Greeks called their counting board or tablets, abakos, abakon, or abax.
And before the Ancient Greeks, the Ancient Hebrews used the word ibeq and abk or abq. The Ancient Hebrew word ibeq, means to wipe the dust and abk or abq means sand, which indicates that the Ancient Hebrew counted objects using lines drawn on the ground and possibly pebbles to move as counters. When they were done with counting something, they “wiped the dust” to make it smooth and clean for the next counting task.
The Type of Abacus Used in Ancient China
The Ancient Chinese called their counting tool suan pan. The wooden frame and bead design of the suan pan are what we think of today when we think of an abacus.
This style of suan pan became popular in the early 13th century CE.
The suan pan consists of a wooden frame divided in two by another piece of wood. Metal rods placed vertically hold beads on both sections of the divided frame.
Early suan pan’s had two beads on the top and five beads on the bottom.
In the mid-19th century CE, the suan pan’s design changed to one bead on the top and five beads on the bottom.