Babylonian times table tablets

Quick answer

Children today learn multiplication tables in school, but the Babylonians used clay tablets to practice multiplication over 4,000 years ago. These ancient tablets show how people have always needed to multiply numbers to solve everyday problems like sharing food, counting animals, or building things.

Learning outcome

By the end of this page, you will understand how the Babylonians used clay tablets to learn multiplication and how their methods connect to what you learn in school today.

• You can explain that multiplication is about equal groups
• You can show how ancient people used patterns to multiply
• You can solve simple multiplication problems using repeated addition
• You can imagine how the Babylonians might have solved problems like sharing food or counting animals

Why this matters

Multiplication is one of the most useful maths skills you can learn. It helps you share things fairly, count quickly, and solve problems in games, cooking, sports, and everyday life. The Babylonians were some of the first people to use multiplication to get through their daily tasks. Understanding how they learned can help you see that maths is not just for school – it's a way of thinking that helps people all over the world, past and present.

How it works

The Babylonians used clay tablets to write down multiplication facts. They didn't use numbers like we do today – they used symbols and patterns. But the idea was the same: they were learning how to multiply by making equal groups. For example, if they wanted to know how many cookies there were in 5 boxes with 6 cookies in each, they would add 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 + 6 to get 30. This is repeated addition, which is another way to think about multiplication.

Here’s how you can think about it:

1. Start with equal groups
2. Count how many items are in each group
3. Add the groups together to find the total
4. Notice patterns in the answers

Examples you can see

Let’s imagine you are a scribe in ancient Babylon. You need to count how many sheep are in 4 pens, with 5 sheep in each pen. You can use repeated addition:

5 + 5 + 5 + 5 = 20 sheep

Or you can write it as multiplication:

4 × 5 = 20

Here is how the Babylonians might have written their multiplication facts:

They would write these symbols to help them remember how to multiply. Today, we use numbers, but the idea is the same.

Try it as a mini adventure

Imagine you are a young scribe in Babylon. You are learning how to count your master's animals. Your master has 7 pens, and each pen has 3 sheep. How many sheep are there in total?

First, you can draw 7 groups of 3 sheep:

Sheep in pen 1: ● ● ●

Sheep in pen 2: ● ● ●

Sheep in pen 3: ● ● ●

Sheep in pen 4: ● ● ●

Sheep in pen 5: ● ● ●

Sheep in pen 6: ● ● ●

Sheep in pen 7: ● ● ●

Then, you can count them all:

3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 + 3 = 21 sheep

Or you can write it as multiplication:

7 × 3 = 21 sheep

Great job! You helped your master count his animals.

Common mistakes

• Mistake: Thinking that 3 × 4 = 12 and 4 × 3 = 12, but not understanding that multiplication is about equal groups.
• Why it happens: Children sometimes think multiplication is just a fact to memorise, not a way to solve problems.
• Fix: Use objects like counters or blocks to show that 3 groups of 4 is the same as 4 groups of 3.

• Mistake: Confusing multiplication with addition by adding the numbers instead of multiplying them.
• Why it happens: When children are just starting to learn multiplication, they may not see the connection between repeated addition and multiplication.
• Fix: Practice counting in groups and writing repeated addition problems to show how they connect to multiplication.

• Mistake: Not understanding that 0 × anything equals 0.
• Why it happens: Some children think that multiplying by 0 means the answer is 0, but they don't understand why.
• Fix: Explain that 0 groups of any number means no items at all, so 0 × 5 = 0.

Parent and carer guide

Help your child understand how multiplication works by using everyday examples:

1. Count items in equal groups, like 4 plates with 3 cookies on each plate
2. Use objects like blocks or counters to show repeated addition
3. Ask questions like, "How many legs do 5 cats have?" or "If you have 3 bags with 6 toys in each, how many toys do you have?"
4. Encourage drawing arrays or using pictures to solve problems
5. Make it fun by turning multiplication into a game or story

Remember, don’t rush. Let your child explore how multiplication works in their own way. If they make a mistake, gently guide them back to thinking about equal groups.

Practice questions

1. What is 5 × 3?
2. How many wheels are on 6 cars if each car has 4 wheels?
3. There are 8 rows of chairs, and each row has 5 chairs. How many chairs are there in total?
4. What is 0 × 7?
5. If you have 4 boxes and each box has 9 pencils, how many pencils do you have?

Answers:

1. 5 × 3 = 15
2. 6 × 4 = 24 wheels
3. 8 × 5 = 40 chairs
4. 0 × 7 = 0
5. 4 × 9 = 36 pencils

FAQ

What is a Babylonian times table tablet?

A Babylonian times table tablet is a piece of clay that ancient people used to write down multiplication facts. These tablets were used by scribes to learn how to multiply numbers.

How did the Babylonians multiply numbers?

The Babylonians used symbols and patterns on clay tablets. They learned multiplication by counting equal groups and using repeated addition to find the total.

Why is it important to learn about ancient multiplication?

Learning about ancient multiplication helps us see how maths has always been important for solving everyday problems. It shows that the skills we learn today have been used for thousands of years.

How can I practice multiplication like the Babylonians?

You can practice by drawing groups of objects, using repeated addition, and writing your own multiplication problems. Try solving problems by counting equal groups first, then using multiplication.

Did the Babylonians use the same numbers we use today?

No, the Babylonians used different symbols and methods to write numbers. They used a base-60 system, which is different from our base-10 system. But the idea of multiplication was the same.