Identifying Numbers in the Archaeological Record

Numbers are one of the longest-lived cultural systems the world has ever known, but we still do not know how old numbers might be, or where and why they might have first emerged or in what form. Contemporary number systems have implications for examining and interpreting the archaeological record for signs of pre-Historic numeracy. To define what we should be looking for in the archaeological record and how we might recognise numbers in markings on pre-Historic artefacts, current assumptions, evidence, methods and issues are reviewed, and recommendations are offered for incorporating interdisciplinary data and insights into archaeological investigations and interpretations.