Why was time based on the sexagesimal system rather than the more intuitive decimal system?

Question

I mean unless people had 6 fingers it would seem counter-intuitive to use any numbering system that does not have a base that is a multiple of 5. Or am I missing something?

In: Mathematics

Answer 1

Sexagesimal systems of measure were adopted pre Babylon (somewhere around 3500 BCE). The system was used for time keeping as well as for other systems of measure including weight and distance. By the 13th century, these timekeeping standards were generally wide-spread throughout the Eurasian continent. The decimal system didn’t make its mainstream debut until the late 1700s. While it was relatively easy to apply this system to things like distance, area, weight, etc., applying the changes to timekeeping standards would require far more drastic changes.