Numbers, as we know them today, were not invented by a single person or civilization. Instead, they evolved over thousands of years through contributions from various cultures.
The concept of counting and basic arithmetic likely began with early humans who used tally marks and other simple methods to keep track of quantities. The ancient Sumerians, around 3000 BCE, are often credited with developing one of the earliest known number systems. They used a base-60 (sexagesimal) system, which influenced the way we measure time and angles today.
The Egyptians, around 2700 BCE, developed their own numeral system, which included hieroglyphs for different numbers. The Greeks and Romans also made significant contributions, with the Romans giving us the numeral system that is still used in some contexts today.
The modern decimal system, which is based on the number 10, was developed in India around the 6th century CE. This system was later adopted and spread by Arab mathematicians, leading to the widespread use of the Hindu-Arabic numeral system that we use today.
In summary, numbers were not invented by a single individual but were developed over time by various civilizations, each contributing to the numerical systems we use today.