Peruso explains: Quipu
Strings, knots, and plenty of Inca cleverness: Peruso explains how the Inca counted, planned, and recorded information without computers.
Hello children!
Have you ever wondered how the Inca knew what was happening in their empire without computers, calculators, or spreadsheets? It wasn't easy. But they had quipus, also spelled khipus.
A quipu was a system of cords and knots. At first, it sounds like a craft project. But it was administration, a memory aid, and a numerical system all in one. So, almost like a very old data storage device, just without a battery.
At a glance
What is a quipu?
A quipu was a system consisting of a main cord and many dangling cords. Knots were located on these cords. The color, material, direction of twist, spacing, position, and type of knot could also be important.
Its use for numbers and administration is particularly well-established. The Inca could use it to record things like supplies, labor services, tributes, population, or animals. In a large empire, this was extremely important, because without order, a corn storage would quickly turn into a huge mess.
Important: A quipu was not simply "one knot equals one number." The position of the knot, the types of knots, and the thread itself were all part of the system.
Threads, colors, and knots
A quipu was not just a tangled mess of wool. The color of a thread could indicate a category. The position of a knot could show a place value, meaning ones, tens, hundreds, or more. Different types of knots also had different functions.
Researchers describe simple knots, long knots, and figure-eight knots among Inca quipus, among others. Many numbers were organized according to a decimal system. That's pretty clever. And yes: if someone accidentally ties a knot incorrectly, it creates not just crafting chaos, but administrative chaos.
A simple example
Imagine a thread on which numbers are stored. A knot further down can mean something different from a knot further up. Similar to our number 321: the 3 does not stand for three, but for three hundreds. The 2 stands for two tens. The 1 stands for one unit.
With quipus, the exact meaning depended not only on the knot, but also on its position and context. One thread, for example, could relate to supplies, another to labor services. So the knot didn't just say: "Three!" It rather said: "Three of precisely this thing, at precisely this point in the system."
Peruso's Mini-Calculation
If a thread represents maize supplies and a specific number is knotted there, the experts know: that's how much maize there is. If another thread represents llamas, it counts llamas. So, you shouldn't mix the threads wildly. Otherwise, someone might end up thinking there are llamas in the maize store. And that would be a tight squeeze.
Who could read quipus?
Not everyone in the Inca Empire could simply pick up a quipu and immediately understand it. For this, there were specialists known as khipu kamayuq. They could create, read, manage, and explain quipus.
Such specialists were important for administration and memory. They helped record information from villages, camps, work groups, and regions. For an empire without an alphabetic script, this was a powerful tool.
Were only numbers stored?
Many quipus contain numbers. This is the part that researchers understand best. However, there are indications that quipus could do more than just pure accounting. Some may also have carried names, categories, narratives, or memory aids.
Here one must be careful: not everything has been deciphered. Researchers are still discussing the extent to which quipus can be understood as writing, a memory system, or a narrative aid. Peruso says: It's a riddle with knots. A pretty good riddle.
Why Quipu was so important
The Inca did not have a paper archive like modern states. Nevertheless, they needed to know how many supplies were available, who was working, what tributes were collected, and which regions supplied what.
A quipu helped with this. It was administration, a counting aid, and a memory aid all in one. Without such systems, an empire stretching across mountains, valleys, and vast distances would have been much harder to organize.
You can find more about the world of the Inca on History of Peru, Inca Gods, and Inca Mythology.
Remember this
- Quipu is also called Khipu. Both spellings occur.
- A quipu consisted of strings and knots. Color, material, and position could also be important.
- The Inca used quipus especially for administration. Supplies, tributes, and people could be recorded.
- Many numbers followed a decimal system. The position of the knot was crucial.
- Khipu kamayuq were specialists. They could read and explain quipus.
- Not everything has been deciphered. Narrative and non-numerical meanings remain a major research topic.
So remember: A quipu looks like a pile of threads. In reality, however, it was a pretty clever Andean system. Just please don't wear it as a necklace. Otherwise, someone might end up counting you as inventory.
(c) by PeruMagazin
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- Encyclopaedia Britannica: Quipu, Definition, knots, Inca, significance and facts
- Harvard Library: Long Before the W-2, There Was the Quipu, Khipu as Andean information system
- Oxford Bibliographies: Quipu, research overview on function and interpretation
- Gary Urton: Signs of the Inka Khipu, research on knots, colors and coding
- Marcia and Robert Ascher: Code of the Quipu, mathematical analysis of Quipus
- Felipe Guamán Poma de Ayala: El primer nueva corónica y buen gobierno, colonial-era depiction of Quipu use