USA HISTORY

Detailed explanation-1: -The Incas may not have bequeathed any written records, but they did have colourful knotted cords . Each of these devices was called a khipu (pronounced key-poo). We know these intricate cords to be an abacus-like system for recording numbers.

Detailed explanation-2: -Quipus (kee-poo), sometimes called talking knots, were recording devices used by the Inka Empire, the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The word quipu comes from the Quechua word for “knot.” A quipu usually consisted of colored, spun and plied thread or strings from llama hair.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Inca people used them for collecting data and keeping records, monitoring tax obligations, collecting census records, calendrical information, and for military organization. The cords stored numeric and other values encoded as knots, often in a base ten positional system.

Detailed explanation-4: -What is a quipu? A quipu, also spelled khipu, qipu or kipu, is an intricate system of knotted strings of various colors that store and convey information. Quipu literally translates to “knot” in Quechua. Many ancient Andean cultures used this knot system, including the Inca.

Detailed explanation-5: -A quipu (khipu) was a method used by the Incas and other ancient Andean cultures to keep records and communicate information using string and knots. In the absence of an alphabetic writing system, this simple and highly portable device achieved a surprising degree of precision and flexibility.