Ancient Accounting Devices Revealed in Australian Museum's Machu Picchu Exhibition
The Australian Museum’s latest exhibition, Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru , has brought some fascinating aspects of ancient Peru to life. One of the most intriguing exhibits is a glimpse into the accounting methods of the Inca Empire, a culture that thrived long before the days of Excel spreadsheets and modern accounting systems. The ancient Peruvians, it turns out, had their own unique way of keeping records—through a device called a quipu (pronounced kee-pu).
The quipu was an innovative tool that allowed the Inca Empire to manage a vast network of people, resources, and territories. Made from colored threads and knots, the quipu served as a complex accounting and communication system, helping to document everything from population numbers to agricultural yields. Its design is a remarkable feat of logic and organization, given that it existed long before written language or any form of visual representation.
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At the Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru exhibition, visitors can see a working example of a quipu, revealing its intricacy. The knots, tied in specific patterns and placed on strings of different colors, carried significant information. These seemingly simple tools were used to track economic activities and even serve administrative functions. It is a testament to the Inca's sophisticated approach to managing their empire, despite lacking the written language systems seen in many other ancient civilizations.
This fascinating accounting device allows us to appreciate the level of complexity in the Inca civilization, which was known for its architectural marvels, including the iconic Machu Picchu citadel. The exhibition brings forward more than just the Inca’s physical creations. It provides an insight into their intellectual and organizational achievements, showcasing how they thrived in a vast, diverse empire that spanned much of South America.
Beyond the quipu, the exhibition features other treasures, such as gold artifacts, ceremonial items, and a virtual flight over Machu Picchu, giving visitors a chance to experience the grandeur of this ancient city as never before. From monumental crowns to the cups used in religious ceremonies, the artifacts are beautifully preserved, offering a glimpse into the spiritual and cultural life of the Inca people.
The Machu Picchu and the Golden Empires of Peru exhibition is a rare opportunity to immerse yourself in the history and innovation of ancient Peru. It serves as a reminder that human creativity and problem-solving abilities have always transcended time and place. Whether it's the Inca's use of the quipu for complex record-keeping or their awe-inspiring engineering feats, the exhibition shows that even without modern tools, ancient civilizations had extraordinary methods to manage their world.
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