From what I have read there is no direct evidence that an “abax” (Greek counting board) ever actually involved sand on a table; this claim has been repeated widely but seems to be an inference entirely based on etymological speculation.
The Darius vase shows a counting table with piles of tokens, but no indication of sand or people writing on an erasable surface (just some pre-established place markers for the pebbles to sit next to). https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Darius_v...
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While we are here, it should be noted that counting boards with coin-like tokens (comparable to the Salamis tablet or Darius vase image) were the dominant way of doing calculations in Europe up until about 300–500 years ago, with written arithmetic using Hindu numerals gradually taking over. A few centuries later and a 3000+ year-old counting-board culture has been almost completely erased.
The Darius vase shows a counting table with piles of tokens, but no indication of sand or people writing on an erasable surface (just some pre-established place markers for the pebbles to sit next to). https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/24/Darius_v...
* * *
While we are here, it should be noted that counting boards with coin-like tokens (comparable to the Salamis tablet or Darius vase image) were the dominant way of doing calculations in Europe up until about 300–500 years ago, with written arithmetic using Hindu numerals gradually taking over. A few centuries later and a 3000+ year-old counting-board culture has been almost completely erased.