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> They absolutely could have built a digital computer and much more.

No, absolutely not. I think you are deluding yourself. There is a long way to go from building a fancy vase or discovering the existence of the zero quantity to developing the necessary mathematical, physical and chemical framework needed to produce even the most rudimentary piece of digital technology.

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An abacus is essentially digital.

Considering the abacus is finger operated, it is digital.

I actually meant that it is used to store discrete values.

For that matter, a pile of stones is essentially digital.

In the same way that counting stones or counting on your fingers is "digital."

Sure, it's a bit of a pedantic point. I don't think it is particularly tiresome in this case, I think the interesting thing about computers is that they are programmable.

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