Binary System Was Used By Ancient Polynesians 1,000 Years Before The Concept Of A Computer Was Introduced
A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com - Researchers say that our binary system is nothing but a re-invention based on ancient knowledge that existed centuries before the concept of a computer.
1827 depiction of Tahitian pahi double-hulled war canoes. Engraved by Fumagalli. Plate N° 86; after an earlier artist. source
When the German mathematician Gottfried Leibniz demonstrated the advantages of the binary system for computations as early as 1703, he laid the foundation for computing machines.
However, Leibnitz was not the first person to use binary numbers.
Researchers in Norway made this astonishing discovery after studying the language of the tiny Pacific island of Mangareva in French Polynesia. The residents of the island of Mangareva in French Polynesia were using a hybrid binary-decimal system before 1450.
One of two number systems traditionally used on Mangareva had three binary steps superposed onto a decimal structure.
The Mangarevan invention of binary steps, centuries before their formal description by Leibniz, attests to the advancements possible in numeracy even in the absence of notation and thereby highlights the role of culture in the evolution of and diversity in numerical cognition.
"Polynesian seafarers left Mangareva around AD 800 in search of quality stone for vital tools and found success on Pitcairn. Trade flourished between the islands, settlers made rough stone gods, carved human, animal, and geometric images on rock canvasses, created burial sites, and left many artifacts. The Bounty mutineers arrived in 1790 and found their temple platforms, petroglyphs, and stone tools giving evidence (and confirmed by Marshall Weisler) that Pitcairn had formerly supported an ancient Polynesian population, most probably from Mangareva..." according to the source.
Image credit: Pitcairn Islands Philatelic Bureau
More than 300 years ago, the German mathematician and philosopher Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz demonstrated the computational advantages of a binary number system, or base 2.
Although Leibniz's groundbreaking theory laid the foundation for computing with machines, humans continue to utilize verbal number systems built on base 10, raising the question of whether binary numeration is compatible with human cognition.
Pure binary arithmetic works according to the 'base two' system - '1's and '0's, rather than the conventional 'base 10' - 1,2,3,4,5, etc. - the counting system, which many cultures think of to have used due to counting on ten fingers.
Now, a new discovery questions the origin of the binary system and the date of its invention.
Andrea Bender, a cognitive scientist, and Sieghard Beller at the University of Bergen in Norway looked at the number systems in related Polynesian languages. Their research appears in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
They discovered that the Polynesians who arrived in Mangareva over 1,000 years ago used a decimal system, as other Polynesians did. However, by A.D. 1450, the Mangarevans were using a procedure that combined base 10 and base 2. In the Mangarevan language, there are words for the numbers 1 through 9, as with all decimal systems.
For numbers 20 to 80, ancient Polynesians used a binary system with separate one-word terms for 20, 40, and 80.
Ancient Polynesian rock carvings. Image credit: Pitcairn Islands Philatelic Bureau
"Those were probably the numbers that were most frequent in their trading and redistribution systems. For that specific range, it was helpful to have these binary steps that make mental arithmetic much easier.
They did not have a writing or notational system, so they had to do everything in their mind, said Andrea Bender.
This system evolved to help people solve complex mental arithmetic and played a vital role in Mangarevan culture, where people often traded large quantities of goods or offered them as tribute. The Mangarevans used their system to count precious objects, including coconuts, fish, and octopuses.
We have always assumed Leibniz was the first to introduce the binary system. Still, this recent discovery clearly shows ancient people were familiar with binary numbers a very long time ago, and we have only re-invented the method we use today.
Currently, the Mangarevan language risks extinction, and the locals use the Arabic digits and the decimal counting system used in large parts of the world.
Written by – A. Sutherland - AncientPages.com Senior Staff Writer
Updated on November 13, 2022
Copyright © AncientPages.com All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed in whole or part without the express written permission of AncientPages.com
Expand for referencesMore From Ancient Pages
-
The Hittites – Rise And Fall Of An Ancient Powerful Empire
Civilizations | Feb 18, 2019
-
Large 4,000-Year-Old Sumerian Port Discovered In The Desert In Iraq
Archaeology | Apr 4, 2018
-
Independent Invention: Iconic Native American Stone Tool Technology Discovered In Arabia
Archaeology | Aug 6, 2020
-
3,000-Year-Old Stela Challenges Assumptions Of Gender And Social Roles In Prehistoric Times
Archaeology | Nov 16, 2023
-
Tracing Footsteps Of Giants In Africa – Obscure Past Of Mzoura Stones
Civilizations | Oct 18, 2015
-
Catherine Of Valois – Scandalous Queen Who Caused Drama Even After Her Death
Featured Stories | Feb 4, 2019
-
Sacred Regalia Of Japanese Emperor: Sword, Mirror And Jewel In Ancient Japanese Tradition
Artifacts | Sep 2, 2017
-
Mysterious Biblical Celestial City And Its Connection To The North Star – The Arrival – Part 2
Biblical Mysteries | Feb 26, 2021
-
120,000-Year-Old Human Footprints Discovered In Saudi Arabia
Archaeology | Sep 18, 2020
-
On This Day In History: Aviator Amelia Earhart Was The First Woman To Cross The Atlantic By Air – On June 18, 1928
News | Jun 18, 2016
-
Emilia Plater: National Female Hero Of Polish And Lithuanian People
Featured Stories | Apr 21, 2017
-
Edzna: Ancient Maya City With Sophisticated Underground System Of Canals To Control Unpredictable Floods
Featured Stories | Jun 2, 2021
-
Famous Philosopher Plato: One The Greatest Thinkers Of All Time And His Concept Of Soul
Featured Stories | Jun 25, 2018
-
Is There An Ancient Secret Connection Between The Statue Of Liberty And The Anunnaki Goddess Inanna?
Featured Stories | Sep 28, 2018
-
Thousands Unknown Ancient Structures Seen From Space: Puzzling Aerial Archaeology In The Middle East
News | Feb 15, 2014
-
Artifacts Discovered In Ancient Florida Sinkhole Can Re-Write History Of North America
Archaeology | May 14, 2016
-
Ancient Manuscripts Of Mythical City Of Timbuktu
Artifacts | Jun 12, 2014
-
Tages: Etruscan Prophet Who Revealed Sacred Knowledge Before He Vanished
Featured Stories | Mar 1, 2016
-
Valuable Ancient Celtic Gold Coins Found By Birdwatcher – A War Chest For Queen Boudicca’s Campaign?
Archaeology | Jan 5, 2021
-
Radiocarbon Dating Method Needs Adjustments – Researchers Say
Archaeology | Apr 1, 2020