THE RECORD
What changed
Old Babylonian scribes used place-value sexagesimal notation for multiplication, reciprocals and geometry. Long observational traditions later supported mathematical astronomy.
EVIDENCE
What remains
Mathematical tablets such as Plimpton 322, school exercises and later astronomical diaries preserve calculation procedures and accumulated observation.
WHY IT MATTERS
Why it matters
The division of hours into 60 minutes and circles into 360 degrees carries a long legacy of this system. Tables made knowledge reusable beyond individual memory.
OPEN QUESTION
Where interpretation begins
Modern trigonometry and astronomy should not be projected backward unchanged. The purpose of Plimpton 322 and the context of individual tablets remain debated.