Why might the Sumerians have used base-60?

Sumerian and Babylonian mathematics was based on a sexegesimal, or base 60, numeric system, which could be counted physically using the twelve knuckles on one hand the five fingers on the other hand. read more

October 21, 2007 9: 55 AM Subscribe An hour has 60 minutes and a minute has 60 seconds because the Sumerians used a base 60 counting system. read more

Sexagesimal (base 60) is a numeral system with sixty as its base. It originated with the ancient Sumerians in the 3rd millennium BC, was passed down to the ancient Babylonians, and is still used—in a modified form—for measuring time, angles, and geographic coordinates. read more