Quipa

The quipa was used by the Inca to keep records. It consisted of a group of multicolored strings that could be knotted to indicate certain information. The quipa, which was usually made of cotton, was invented by South American Indians in pre-Incan times. When the Inca took control, they adopted it's use in administering the empire.

The Inca recorded laws, sent messages, and calculated numbers using quipas. Some reportedly encoded histories or poems. The location, number, and type of knots, as well as the color of the string and the direction of the twist or tie all had meaning. Some Incan quipas have survived, but our understanding of them is incomplete.