Writing in the 1st century BC, Horace refers to the wax abacus, a board covered with a thin layer of black wax on which columns and figures were inscribed using a stylus.
ɹˈaɪɾɪŋ ɪnðə fˈɜːst sˈɛntʃɚɹi bˌiːsˈiː, hˈoːɹəs ɹᵻfˈɜːz tə ðə wˈæks ˈæbækəs, ɐ bˈoːɹd kˈʌvɚd wɪð ɐ θˈɪn lˈeɪɚɹ ʌv blˈæk wˈæks ˌɔn wˌɪtʃ kˈɑːlʌmz ænd fˈɪɡjɚz wɜːɹ ɪnskɹˈaɪbd jˈuːzɪŋ ɐ stˈaɪləs.