In Clive Cussler’s thriller Inca Gold, a crucial clue in an international treasure hunt is encoded in an ancient tangle of knotted, colored strands. Using a computer to identify patterns, an expert patiently deciphers the message, taking into account strand color and thickness and knot placement and type.
If only it were actually that simple.
Such assemblages of strings and knots are known as khipu (or quipu). They were used centuries ago by the Incas and earlier societies in the Andean region of South America as communication devices to record transactions, perform various accounting functions, keep track of resources, and perhaps even recount histories or tell stories. The word khipu means “knot” in the Cusco dialect of Quechua, the native language of the Andes.