Which method did the Inca use for accounting and administrative control?

Which method did the Inca use for accounting and administrative control?

• A. Abacus
• B. Quipu
• C. Cuneiform tablets
• D. Parchment ledgers

Answer: (B)

The Inca relied on quipu, a system of knotted strings, to handle accounting and administration because they did not develop a traditional writing system. The main cord with attached cords carries knots in patterns that encode quantities and categories, enabling officials to track census data, taxes, labor obligations (mit’a), and stored resources across a vast empire. Colors and knot positions helped distinguish different kinds of information, so complex data could be organized and recalled without written records. This method suited the Andes’ geography and a centralized bureaucracy, allowing control and coordination from a central administration to distant provinces. Other options reflect tools or writing systems from different cultures, not the Inca approach to record-keeping.

The Inca relied on quipu, a system of knotted strings, to handle accounting and administration because they did not develop a traditional writing system. The main cord with attached cords carries knots in patterns that encode quantities and categories, enabling officials to track census data, taxes, labor obligations (mit’a), and stored resources across a vast empire. Colors and knot positions helped distinguish different kinds of information, so complex data could be organized and recalled without written records. This method suited the Andes’ geography and a centralized bureaucracy, allowing control and coordination from a central administration to distant provinces. Other options reflect tools or writing systems from different cultures, not the Inca approach to record-keeping.