Peruso explains: Quipu
Threads, knots, and a lot of Inca cleverness: Peruso explains how the Incas counted and planned without computers.
Hello, children!
Have you ever wondered how the Incas knew what was going on without computers or calculators? Well, we had Quipu! That's a bunch of threads and knots that told us everything.
Okay, now you're probably thinking: threads, really? But wait! Quipu was like the Incas' mobile phone. Only without a battery or apps.
What is a Quipu?
A Quipu was a system of threads and knots. Colors, positions, and knots could store information. This allowed the Incas to count, manage supplies, and record important things.
Imagine this: you have a red thread for the number of corn cobs you have in your secret hiding place, a green thread for the llamas you're not allowed to eat, and a blue thread for the number of goat hats you've lost. Oops.
An example
Let's say you have three knots on one thread. That means you have three things. Sounds simple, doesn't it? But then more knots and more threads are added.
That's how we knew how much of everything we had, without Mom yelling at us because we forgot how many llamas we had left.
Threads, Colors and Knots
A Quipu was not just a tangled ball of wool. The color of a thread could have a meaning. The position of a knot could indicate a number. Different types of knots could carry different information.
That was pretty clever. And honestly: if I had to count my toys like that today, I'd probably have three knots for "found" and seven knots for "Mom better not know where that is."
Example calculation with Quipu
Let's take a blue thread. Three knots on it: You have three corn cobs. Delicious! Now you take a yellow thread, tie five knots on it. Those are the five llamas you had to count yesterday.
And if Mom asks how many corn and llamas there are together, you just have to hold the two Quipus next to each other and hope she doesn't ask any more questions.
Let's calculate anyway: Three corn cobs plus five llamas are eight things. Not eight llamas. Not eight corn cobs. Eight things together. So the important thing is: the thread says what is being counted. The knot says how much of it there is.
If a knot is misplaced
And if you ever forget something, just tie a new knot. But be careful not to tangle the threads.
Otherwise, Grandma might think you ate eighteen llamas and not just three. And then things get difficult. Very difficult. Especially for the llamas.
Why Quipu was so important
The Incas didn't have paper like we do today. Nevertheless, they needed to know how many supplies there were, how many people were working, how many animals there were, and what tributes were collected.
A Quipu helped with this. It was administration, a counting aid, and a memory aid all in one. For a large empire, this was important, because without order, a corn storage quickly turns into corn salad. And corn salad usually means trouble.
You can find more about the world of the Inca at History of Peru, Inca Gods and Inca Mythology.
So remember: a Quipu looks like a bunch of threads. In reality, however, it was a pretty clever Inca system. Just please don't use it as a necklace. Otherwise, someone might count you as a llama.
(c) by PeruMagazin