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quipu
(redirected from Khipu)

   Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.01 sec.
qui·pu  (kp)
n.
A record-keeping device of the Inca empire consisting of a series of variously colored strings attached to a base rope and knotted so as to encode information, used especially for accounting purposes.

[American Spanish, from Quechua kipu.]

quipu, quippu [ˈkiːpuː ˈkwɪpuː]
n
(Historical Terms) a device of the Incas of Peru used to record information, consisting of an arrangement of variously coloured and knotted cords attached to a base cord
[from Spanish quipo, from Quechua quipu, literally: knot]
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Noun1.quipu - calculator consisting of a cord with attached cordsquipu - calculator consisting of a cord with attached cords; used by ancient Peruvians for calculating and keeping records
calculating machine, calculator - a small machine that is used for mathematical calculations


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Gary Urton, professor of anthropology at Harvard University, has re-analysed the complicated knotted strings of the Inca - decorative objects called khipu - and found they contain a seven-bit binary code capable of conveying more than 1,500 separate units of information.
While looking at the picture of the khipu on page 48 ("Unraveling an Inca Mystery," Americas, October 2006), it occurred to me that I might be looking at an annual report for a segment of the economy.
The first systematic analysis of the grammar of the khipu code did not appear until 2003.
 
 
 
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