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The Egyptian origin of the Greek alphabetic numerals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2015

Stephen Chrisomalis
Stephen Chrisomalis*
Affiliation:
Department of Anthropology, McGill University, Quebec, Canada
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Abstract

Traditionally, it has been assumed that the Greek alphabetic numerals were independently invented in the sixth century BC. However, the author finds a remarkable structural similarity between this system and the Egyptian demotic numerals. He proposes that trade between Asia Minor and Egypt provided the context in which the Greek numerals were adopted from Egyptian models.

Keywords

EgyptGreecediffusionnumeralstradewritingcross-cultural communication
Type
Research
Information
Antiquity , Volume 77 , Issue 297 , September 2003 , pp. 485 - 496
Copyright
Copyright © Antiquity Publications Ltd. 2003

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