Fonds for Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek Fund for Scientific Research of Flanders

Ministère du Gouvernement de la Région de Bruxelles-Capitale, chargé de la Recherche scientifique. Ministerie van de Regering van het Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest, belast met Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek.

Ishango, 22000 and 50 years later. Program

Koninklijke Vlaamse Academie van België Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium

Prof. Hawkins, showing the rod to a colleague mathematician. A 50-years-old picture of Jean de Heinzelin, the discoverer of the rod; photo: private collection J. Vandeweghe.

Wednesday Feb 28: introductions' day. Afternoon outreach: visit to the Africa Museum. Evening, 19h: opening through an Ishango music show. More Thursday March 1: History day Chair: Dr. Paul Haesaerts, Micropalaeontology and Palaeobotany, RBINS, Brussels. Afternoon outreach, 17h: Tribute to Jean de Heinzelin, the discoverer of the Ishango rod(s). More Friday March 2: Mathematics day Chair: Prof. Dr. Guido Vanden Berghe, Head of the Department of Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, University Gent, Belgium. Closure by African-American mathematicians Bill Hawkins (USA), President of SUMMA at the American Mathematical Society and John Belcher (USA), Founding Partner CrossPulse Consultants. More Back to main page

American top-archaeologists Alison Brooks and John Yellen will settle the question about the age of the Ishango rod(s). Through sand drawings, Gerdes will show mathematics in Africa makes sense.