Some scholars point to a character in Babylonian cuneiform that may have been derived from a representation of the abacus.
sˌʌm skˈɑːlɚz pˈɔɪnt tʊ ɐ kˈæɹɪktɚɹ ɪn bˌæbɪlˈoʊniən kˈʌneɪfˌɔːɹm ðæt mˌeɪhɐv bˌɪn dᵻɹˈaɪvd fɹʌm ɐ ɹˌɛpɹᵻzˈɛntˈeɪʃən ʌvðɪ ˈæbækəs.