The Incas: quipu

The Inca empire existed in 1532. It spread over a vast area in South America. They have developed a method of recording number information which did not require writing. It involved knots in strings called quipu. The quipu was not a calculator but rather a way to record, for example: numbers of cows, or population.

Inca numbers

As I was going to publish I saw that Orla posted something about Quipu.
I had done my research on it too.

It does not matter becase I am adding some more details on it.
Here is what I found:

The Incas didn’t write numbers they tied knots on a string!

It is called the Quipu.

There are three strings and three types of knots.

       

The simple one is one unit up to 9 that   means that if you put three simple knots the number is three, 4 simple knots = 4…

Then there is another type of knot that needs to be different (anyone can invent it

S knots) is for the tens like 10 2 knots represents 20, 3 knots represents 30, 4 knots represents 40 ,5 knots represents 50,  6 knots represents 60…

   

The last one is the knot that represents the 100s. This knot is shaped like a 8.

The strings now …

The 1st string is for the number in the 100s for example 397.

The second string is for the 1000s like 32000. To tell you 0 in Inca is nothing so you just need to put 32, three 10 knots and 2 simple knots .

The third one is for the Billions but it is rarely used.

Now that you know the Inca numbers, here is a little quiz for you,
Answer in a comment:

Place me 342 500 on the 3 strings !

A clue: you might not need to use the 3 strings.

Quipu

The Incas came from South America and used different coloured strings to count. There were between seven and two thousand strings on the quipu. Different knots signified different units such as 1, 10 or 100 etc. The colours signified what was being counted. There was a central rope and strings came off it. The Incas seemed to be very talented at tying knots.