Babylonian Mathematics Advances

During the Old Babylonian period (c. 1800–1600 BCE), mathematicians created sophisticated clay tablets showing they could calculate square roots, solve quadratic equations, and understood what we now call the Pythagorean theorem. Their base-60 system is why we still have 60 minutes in an hour and 360 degrees in a circle. The famous Plimpton 322 tablet remains one of the most remarkable mathematical documents ever found.