Counting before numbers

    Before the invention of written numbers, people used many different ways count things.

    At first, people used (they) fingers, and even their toes. , they could only count small numbers in this way.

    After that, they began to make small (mark) on sticks and bones. This helped them count (big) numbers. They used them to count things the days of month, the amount of food and the number of animals they had.

    Then people began to use tokens made from clay small stones. This helped them count even bigger numbers. They often put the tokens on pieces of string so that they could carry them around (easy). This developed into tools like the abacus.

    Finally, people began to develop systems of (write) marks to show different numbers, and this (lead) to the Hindu-Arabic system (0-9). We are still using this system today.