The Mayan civilization had settled in the region of Central America from about 2000 BCE. At its peak, it was one of the most densely populated and culturally dynamic societies in the world.
The Mayans constructed quite early a very sophisticated number system, possibly more advanced than any other in the world at the time (although the dating of developments is quite difficult). They used a vigesimal number system based on base 20 (and, to some extent, base 5), probably originally developed from counting on fingers and toes.
