The Quipus [English]
The quipu (Quechua: khipu, ‘knot’) was a mnemonic system using wool or cotton ropes and knots
of one or more colors developed in the Andes. Although it is known that it was used as an accounting system by officials of the Inca Empire, could have been used as a form of writing, a hypothesis that says the engineer William Burns Glynn.
Were used by the quipu kamayoc (khipu kamayuq), sages of the Inca empire.
The quipus formed a mnemonic system by which record the necessary information. It could be news census, amounts of products and keeps stored in state warehouses.
Quipus instruments are still used as mnemonics in the Indian villages where they serve to register the products of crops and animal communities.
The Inca emperor, had 30 people in big cities take charge of the accounts, then bring them to the emperor’s messengers who had specialized staff in the interpretation of the quipu.
It is believed that the position of the knots in the cord could be interpreted as a decimal system of mathematics. For example, counting from the tip, find the knot is equivalent to 10,000, then 1,000, 100, and ultimately drives.
The oldest quipu
The quipu oldest recorded was found in 2005, among the archaeological remains of the city of Caral, the oldest city in America, this corresponds to about 2500 BC so it now has 4500 years.
The discovery was made by archaeologist Ruth Shady, who said that this belonged to the Sacred City of Caral, in addition to the quipu would be part of an offering as it was found inside one. He also confirmed that other quipus found in different focal points of the Wari culture.
Colors
Color Sector
Pardo Government
Crimson Inca
Purple Curaca
Green Conquest
Red Warrior
Black Time
Yellow Gold
White Silver
Structure
It used three types of nodes:
Simples are in the middle and top rope and symbolize the high numbers (tens, hundreds and thousands)
Flamingos are found in the bottom of the string and represent the low figures (units)
Compounds are at the start of the string and figures represent food store
Quipucamayoc
They were the people in charge of recording events and bring the statistics of a complex Inca state of two million square kilometers and more than 12 million people.
Source: es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quipu, wiki.sumaqperu.com/es/El_Quipu, picasaweb.google.com
