How ancient Incan bean counters counted… beans

Fun fact: Ancient Incans took a “crafty” approach to accounting.

iff incan 628x750 - How ancient Incan bean counters counted... beans


Infographic: Because you believe in second chances

How ancient Incan bean counters counted... beans Five hundred years before spreadsheet software, the ancient Incans used "khipus" to track inventory. Arrangements of colored strings and knots, khipus look to modern eyes like macramé wall hangings. In fact, they're sophisticated accounting systems: Knots represent commodity numbers and the relation between knots and strings depicts calculations. Only in recent years have researchers theorized that khipus also reveal nonnumerical information. String colors and other details may indicate that a khipu records, for example, bean, peanut or corn stores. Source: Harvard University and the New York Times
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