Sunday, February 13, 2011

First "Writers" of South America

Here's the general archaeological consensus:

  • Quipus, the oldest dated around 5,000 years ago and found in northern Peru, are believed to be the first form of record-keeping in South America. This system rivals Mesopotamian cuneiform in terms of age.



  • This complex system was capable of recording populations, economic imports/exports, harvest sizes, taxes, etc.
  • Quipucamayocs were older men in the society employed to decipher and create these records. By learning the language of the colored strings with various knots and lengths, they served as both historians and accountants. 
  • When applicable, the strings themselves were color-coded according to the object it represented (yellow strings for gold, red strings for warriors, etc.). Otherwise, subjects and items were grouped by string lengths or distinctive knots. 
Being so far removed from this mode of "writing," I find it hard to even imagine how this type of medium would shape a civilization's worldview. If there's anybody out there willing to put in some deep contemplation on the subject, I'd love to hear your opinions. 

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