Quipu is a record-keeping system used by which civilization?

• A. Maya
• B. Inca
• C. Aztec
• D. Olmec

Answer: (B)

Quipu is a system of knotted cords used for record-keeping in the Inca Empire. Because the Inca governed a vast territory but did not develop a writing system like some other civilizations, they used differently colored cords, knots, and lengths to store numerical data—such as censuses, tribute, and resource inventories—and trained officials known as quipucamayocs to read and manage these records. The Maya relied on a complex system of hieroglyphs and codices, the Aztec used pictorial manuscripts for records, and the Olmec predate these writing efforts, so quipu is most closely associated with the Inca.