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.