The first theory is the Eastern Han and Northern and Southern Dynasties theory.The abacus is still used as an important tool for counting in some parts of the world even today, with China, Japan, and Russia on top of the list of countries that still use Abacus.Ĭurrently, there are three main theories about the origin of the abacus: This was also the case in Western Europe, and it appears that modern counting methods were only recently adopted. The counting tools that resemble the abacus have also been found and reported in Mesoamerican ruins of South America, which shows that most cultures used this counting tool called the abacus to count. Others would also use semi-precious stones like Jade. The ancient Chinese particularly used such tables and the pebbles to count.īut over time, people would move from counting on the dirt and from the use of pebbles to the use of beads and wooden frames. These tools allowed for easy arithmetic calculations through addition or subtraction. The first abacus involved the use of small rocks or pebbles that would be carefully put down on the ground, on tables, or on tablets marked with lines. There is a possibility that this counting tool, along with other tools for counting, was created and used before this time. The Chinese abacus is reported to have been invented during the Ming Dynasty by Cheng Dawei.Įven so, the first abacus is believed to go far back to Mesopotamia and the Sumerian Culture between 27 BCE. Among all the ancient abacuses around the world, the Chinese abacus is the most advanced tool for performing arithmetic calculations. The Russian abacus has several curved wooden bars inserted horizontally into a wooden frame, with ten beads on each bar. The Japanese abacus, called the “soroban,” is different from the Chinese abacus in that the beads have a diamond cross-section, are smaller, and have more rods. The beaded abacus refers to the Chinese abacus, Japanese abacus, and Russian abacus. The counting board was an important calculation tool in medieval Europe, but its form varied greatly, with different types of lines, counters, and sometimes with numbers marked on them.
In the mid-19th century, a large marble counting board over one meter long was discovered in Salamis, Greece. Later, people gradually replaced the sand with a board with parallel lines engraved on it, and placed small stones (called “counters”) on the board to count and perform calculations. The sandboard is a flat board with fine sand on it, on which people can write, draw and perform calculations using a wooden stick. The various types of abacus from different cultures throughout history can be roughly divided into three categories: sandboard, counting board, and beaded abacus. From existing literature, it can be seen that many ancient civilizations had their own calculation tools similar to the abacus.
It is worth noting that the term “abacus” does not only refer to the Chinese abacus. This is why it is called the “mao abacus.” The third type is the teaching abacus, which has soft bristles on the rods so that the beads can be placed in any position, making it easier for teaching. The second type has one bead on the top section representing the value of five, and four beads on the bottom section representing the value of one.
The first type is the traditional abacus, which has two beads on the top section of the beam representing the value of five, and five beads on the bottom section representing the value of one. Korean abacus (Jusan): Similar to the Chinese abacus but with fewer beads.Įach type of abacus has its unique features and methods of use, but all of them are designed to perform calculations and help develop mental arithmetic skills.įrom a practical perspective, there are only three main types of Chinese abacus. Nepalese abacus (Soroban): Similar to the Japanese Soroban, but with a larger frame and fewer beads. Indian abacus: Also known as the “ Salamander Abacus,” this type of abacus has two decks of beads, one for units and the other for tens, and is used for simple arithmetic calculations. Russian abacus (Schoty): A rectangular frame with vertical wires or rods, and beads sliding on them. Japanese abacus (Soroban): Similar to the Chinese abacus but with a different shape and arrangement of beads. There are several types of abacus used around the world, including:Ĭhinese abacus (Suanpan): The most widely used abacus, consisting of a rectangular frame with beads sliding on rods.
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