The Inca recorded census, tax and calendar data in knotted cords called quipus

historyWikipediac. 1100–1532 · Central Andes

The Inca recorded census, tax and calendar data in knotted cords called quipus

the gist

Quipus are record-keeping devices made of knotted cords, usually of cotton or camelid fibre, used across the central Andes. The Inca tied knots in a decimal positional system, so a knot's position and type recorded a number, while the cords' colours and order carried other categories. Quipus ran the empire's administration, tracking tax obligations, census figures, calendar information and military organisation. Objects that can be identified as quipus first appear around the 1st millennium CE, probably linked to the Wari Empire. Around 1,400 pre-Columbian quipus are known to survive. After the Spanish conquest, they were gradually replaced by European writing, although some colonial officials and priests adapted them.

how it works

Each knot's type and position encodes a digit in base ten, with the knot in the units position at the bottom of the cord. Cords hang from a main cord, and their colour, spacing and grouping add further meaning, letting one object store a whole set of accounts.

so what

Quipus show that a complex state can run without written script, storing numerical data in a structured physical form. They rank among the most sophisticated non-alphabetic record systems ever used, and researchers are still working out what many cords say.

fun fact

Quipus are still used in some modern Andean villages.

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗