quipu

Quipu, spelled khipu in Quechua, is a recording device used by Andean cultures, most famously the Inca. It consists of a main cord with numerous knotted subsidiary cords, serving to store and convey information without a writing system. Quipu dates to pre-Columbian times and continued in use into the early colonial period.

Construction and coding: The backbone cord supports pendant cords; knots vary in type and position. The number of turns on a knot and its location typically encode numbers in a decimal system. Colors, textures, and cord grouping are believed to indicate categories such as commodity, region, or administrative function, though interpretations vary.

Uses: Quipu primarily recorded inventories, tribute, censuses, labor obligations, and calendrical information. It functioned as a memory aid and data store in state and local governance, especially where a script was scarce. Some scholars suggest narratives or genealogies on certain cords, but non-numeric encoding remains debated.

Decipherment and status: The numeric system is well understood, letting researchers read many quipu as decimal records. There is no consensus on full reading of non-numeric content, and color and knot rules are still studied. Surviving quipu are mainly in Peru and Bolivia, housed in museums and collections.

Etymology and heritage: The term quipu (khipu) comes from Quechua. Quipu is regarded as a central tool of Andean administration and an important source for studies of Inca governance and information systems.