ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Prehistoric counting

Before people had writing or even the ability to read numbers, they still had to count things. How did they do it?

Well, they used their hands and fingers. They would count things by pointing to them or touching them one by one. They would use their fingers to keep track of how many items they were counting.

They also used other things in nature to help them count. For example, they could count how many rocks were in a pile by separating them into smaller piles or groups. They could also count how many animals they had by making marks on a stick or using knots on a rope.

As time went on, people started to use more complex methods to count. They may have used tally marks, which are lines that are drawn to help keep track of numbers. They may have also used stones or pebbles as markers to keep track of numbers.

Overall, prehistoric counting was a simpler way of keeping track of numbers without the use of writing or numbers. People used their bodies and nature to help them count and keep track of things.