Why We Count By Twelve

Our obsession with the number twelve stems from the ancient habit of using thumbs to count the three finger segments on each hand. This base-twelve system, known as duodecimal, is why we still group eggs and hours into dozens.

Long before we standardized math on the number ten, ancient civilizations found twelve much more useful for trading. Twelve is highly divisible by two, three, four, and six, making it perfect for splitting goods fairly without messy fractions. While we mostly use the decimal system today, we still cling to dozens for timekeeping and commerce. It is a persistent thumbprint of how early humans intuitively organized their world.