<P> Babylonian numerals were written in cuneiform, using a wedge - tipped reed stylus to make a mark on a soft clay tablet which would be exposed in the sun to harden to create a permanent record . </P> <P> The Babylonians, who were famous for their astronomical observations and calculations (aided by their invention of the abacus), used a sexagesimal (base - 60) positional numeral system inherited from either the Sumerian or the Eblaite civilizations . Neither of the predecessors was a positional system (having a convention for which' end' of the numeral represented the units). </P> <P> This system first appeared around 2000 BC; its structure reflects the decimal lexical numerals of Semitic languages rather than Sumerian lexical numbers . However, the use of a special Sumerian sign for 60 (beside two Semitic signs for the same number) attests to a relation with the Sumerian system . </P> <Table> <Tr> <Th> Numeral systems </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Hindu--Arabic numeral system </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Western Arabic </Li> <Li> Eastern Arabic </Li> </Ul> <Ul> <Li> Bengali </Li> <Li> Gurmukhi </Li> <Li> Indian </Li> <Li> Sinhala </Li> <Li> Tamil </Li> </Ul> <Ul> <Li> Balinese </Li> <Li> Burmese </Li> <Li> Dzongkha </Li> <Li> Gujarati </Li> <Li> Javanese </Li> <Li> Khmer </Li> <Li> Lao </Li> <Li> Mongolian </Li> <Li> Thai </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> East Asian </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Chinese <Ul> <Li> Suzhou </Li> </Ul> </Li> <Li> Hokkien </Li> <Li> Japanese </Li> <Li> Korean </Li> <Li> Vietnamese </Li> </Ul> <Ul> <Li> Counting rods </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Alphabetic </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Abjad </Li> <Li> Armenian </Li> <Li> Āryabhaṭa </Li> <Li> Cyrillic </Li> <Li> Ge'ez </Li> <Li> Georgian </Li> <Li> Greek </Li> <Li> Hebrew </Li> <Li> Roman </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Former </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Aegean </Li> <Li> Attic </Li> <Li> Babylonian </Li> <Li> Brahmi </Li> <Li> Chuvash </Li> <Li> Egyptian </Li> <Li> Etruscan </Li> <Li> Inuit </Li> <Li> Kharosthi </Li> <Li> Mayan </Li> <Li> Muisca </Li> <Li> Quipu </Li> </Ul> <Ul> <Li> Prehistoric </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Positional systems by base </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> 5 </Li> <Li> 6 </Li> <Li> 8 </Li> <Li> 10 </Li> <Li> 12 </Li> <Li> 16 </Li> <Li> 20 </Li> <Li> 60 </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Th> Non-standard positional numeral systems </Th> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> Bijective numeration (1) </Li> <Li> Signed - digit representation (Balanced ternary) </Li> <Li> factorial </Li> <Li> negative </Li> <Li> Complex - base system (2i) </Li> <Li> Non-integer representation (φ) </Li> <Li> mixed </Li> <Li> Asymmetric numeral systems </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> List of numeral systems </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> <Ul> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> <Li> </Li> </Ul> </Td> </Tr> </Table>

When did the babylonians began using cuneiform numerals