Peruso explains: Quipu

What is a Quipu?

A quipu was a system consisting of a main cord and many hanging cords. Knots were tied 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. For example, the Inca could use it to record supplies, labor services, tributes, population, or animals. In a large empire, this was extremely important, because without order, a corn storage facility can quickly become a big mess.

A simple example

Imagine a thread on which numbers are stored. A knot lower down can mean something different than a knot higher 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 the context. For example, one thread could relate to supplies, another to labor services. So the knot didn't just say, "Three!" It more likely said, "Three of exactly this thing, at exactly this place in the system."

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 make, read, manage, and explain quipus.

Such specialists were important for administration and memory. They helped record information from villages, storage facilities, 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 might also have carried names, categories, stories, or memory aids.

Here one must be careful: Not everything is deciphered. Researchers still discuss how far quipus can be understood as a script, memory system, or storytelling 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 worked, what tributes were collected, and which regions supplied what.

A quipu helped with this. It was administration, counting aid, and memory aid all in one. Without such systems, an empire spanning mountains, valleys, and vast distances would have been much harder to organize.

You can find more about the world of the Inca at History of Peru, Inca Gods and Inca Mythology.

Remember this

• Quipu is also called Khipu. Both spellings appear.
• A quipu consisted of cords 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 is deciphered. Narrative and non-numerical meanings remain a major research topic.

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