Quipus

We use ropes in our lives for many things like fishing, securing items, and a lot more. However, the Inca took ropes to a different place and used them for something that really impacted their lives and changed their whole world. The Inca used ropes to create quipus, which were their system of communication and record-keeping. The Inca needed a system of fast communication and a way to keep track of goods and trade, so they created a complex combination of ropes, string, and knots that was a code only they could use. The quipu was used to store information and transfer large amounts of data or longer messages, in shorter amounts of time, than a messenger relaying them word for word.

To make a quipu, smaller pieces of rope would be braided together for the center rope. Then pieces of string would be knotted, dyed, and strung from the center rope. These quipus would then be transported either to the building where they were to be stored or to the intended receiver. They used the quipu to keep records of crops and livestock production and to record the amounts and types of items in storehouses.

The quipu was essential and well thought of. However, when the Spanish Conquistadors took over they deciphered some of the quipus. Unfortunately, none of the deciphered quipus were found because the Spaniards burned and destroyed them. Scientists today are still trying to decode them.

The quipus did make a slight impact on the world around the Incas because it allowed them to expand their empire rapidly. With their orderly system of communication, the Incas invaded and took over the lands of other tribes, making them the largest empire of their time.

The Incas became a huge power with millions of people and prosperous lands. Then when the Conquistadors came, they were torn down and destroyed, and only relics, some architecture, and little clues are left for scientists to figure out their past. The quipus are historically important because they give scientists clues to the everyday Incan lifestyle, and if unlocked, can give historians close to the whole picture of the workings and secrets of the Incas.