Summary:
- Quipus were complex knotted strings used by the Inca civilization in South America to record information and communicate. They were a form of data storage and communication that predated modern computers.
- Researchers have discovered that quipus could be used to perform complex mathematical calculations, including addition, subtraction, and even multiplication. The knots and colors in the quipus represented numerical values that could be manipulated.
- Quipus were an early form of "computer" that allowed the Inca to keep detailed records, track resources, and communicate information across their vast empire. They demonstrate the ingenuity and technological sophistication of pre-Columbian civilizations.