Peruso explains: Quipu

"Hello kids! 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' cell phone – only, er... without a battery and apps!

Just imagine: 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 are not allowed to eat, and a blue thread for the number of goats’ hats you lost (oops!).

An example:
Let's say you have three knots on a thread. That means you have... three things! Sounds simple, right? But then - and this is where it gets crazy - there are more knots and more threads. That's how we knew how much of everything we have without Mom yelling at us because we forgot how many llamas we have left.
Example calculation:
Let's take a blue thread. Tie three knots on it: You have three corn cobs (yummy!). Now take a yellow thread and tie five knots on it - these are the five llamas you had to count yesterday. And when mom asks how many corn and llamas are together, all you have to do is hold the two quipus next to each other and hope she doesn't ask any more questions!

And if you forget something, you just tie a new knot. But be careful not to tangle the threads... otherwise Grandma will think you ate eighteen llamas and not just three!"

(c) by PeruMagazin