The Presence and Medial Function of Numbers in the Middle Ages (Event: 16.11.-18.11.06, Berlin)

Interdisciplinary Conference, abstract: The similarity between the words count and recount implies a forgotten kinship between discursive and numerical knowledge. This linguistic finding indicates a conceptual proximity between the domains of knowledge and practice that are essential for understanding medieval culture, and which can only be described within the modern canonical body of knowledge with great difficulty. This finding initiated the idea for our conference that inquires about the historical cultural techniques for using numbers and their specific achievements.