Quipu (/ ˈkiːpuː / KEE-poo), also spelled khipu, are recording devices fashioned from knotted cords. They were historically used by various cultures in the central Andes of South America, most prominently by the Inca Empire. [1]

May 8, 2014 · 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.

Quipu, an accounting apparatus used by Andean peoples from 2500 BCE, especially during the Inca empire of the 15th and 16th centuries. It consisted of a long textile cord (called a top, or primary, cord) with a varying number of pendant cords with knots encoding numeric values.

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 …

Jul 3, 2019 · Quipu is the Spanish form of the Inca (Quechua language) word khipu (also spelled quipo), a unique form of ancient communication and information storage used by the Inca Empire, their competition and their predecessors in South America.

Nov 30, 2020 · Learn about the history and purpose of the quipu, with insights from anthropologist and best-selling author of The Last Days of the Incas Kim MacQuarrie. Quipus, or talking knots, were record-keeping devices for ancient Andean civilizations.

Oct 9, 2023 · Instead of using paper, stone, wood, or any known form of writing, the Incas developed a system using specially woven cords with branching structures and knots called quipu. Even centuries after the empire’s decline, quipus continue to captivate historians, archaeologists, and anthropologists.

Consisting of intricately knotted cords in an array of colors, lengths, and materials, quipu served as a versatile and sophisticated means of record keeping and information exchange. But how did this intricate system of knots develop? What secrets lie within its complex structure?

Dec 24, 2024 · The quipu is a traditional Andean counting device that uses colored strings and knots in lieu of paper and numbers. Quipus. Photo: Shutterstock. The absence of modern-day …

Although the presence of the Quipu Peru has always been within the history of the Incas, its culture, tradition and customs have been transmitted mainly orally although of course we have the hope that the story we are looking for is hidden within the complex understanding of …