Khipu Board

Mechanics & Inner Workings

Layout

A system of trays made from different polygons of varying shape, sizes and materials carved onto the top of a surface. Seeds or pebbles are placed inside as a record keeping measure while performing complex arithmetic calculations. It is a rectangular wooden table consisting of 17 compartments: 14 are squares, 2 are rectangles and 1 central octagon.

Counting Board

Level 1

Square
There are 12 squares around the outer edge of the board representing one unit.

Retangle
The two larger, rectangular compartments, doubled its value.

Octagon
The octagonal region in the middle of the slab, tripled its value.

Level 2

Retangle
The second level contain two single compartments at either corner that multiplied its value by six.

Level 3

Square
One of the two highest corner levels, multiplied its value by twelve.

Towers

On two edges of the table are other square compartments (12x12) raised and symmetrically arranged to one another, to which two square platforms (7x7) overlap. Another two sections were mounted on the original surface of the slab so that there are three levels in total. The dual structural points reflect its use to count income and expense. Architects uniquely use the towers to calculate in three-dimensions for their constructions.

Beads

Different products can be counted at the same time by different coloured pebbles; which can represent any number of things. Kernel, seeds, grains, or beans are often used to count corn bushels or other crops that grow from the counting seeds. White, black and painted pebbles act as representative to anything in the world. Multitudes of them can be put in the same box to count multiple transaction at once.

Manufacturing process

Heavy stone yupana are reserved for fixed and secure regions successfully incorporated into the empire. Smaller and lighter yupana, made of wood, are preferred by accountants who must walk to many mountainous communities. In either case, carvers fashion pockets into a spiral of ever increasing sizes.

Significance

Mathematical Prowess

The table presents a symmetry of the compartments with respect to the diagonal of the rectangle. The yupana's layout directly correlates to the vertical orientation of khipu knots whch makes receiving and manipulating data an effortless task for an educated quipucamayoc. The quipu system operates on base 10. just as each kind of knot had a specific decimal value, each geometric box carries a decimal value.

Decorations

Sides of a board can also be engraved with many decorative figures. Some favourites include

• Human heads and Crocodiles
• Eagles and Condors
• Frogs and Snakes
• Llamas and Cuys
• Vicunas and Alpacas
• Dolphins and Penguins
• Bears and Pumas
• Cocks and Curiquinques
• Fish and Bees

These serve to calculate the taxes farmers paid. To keep records of all goods and stocks, of the census, of the amounts of tribute owed to the government and labour according to mita.

Alternate Name

• Yupana
• Count
• Calculating Device
• Symmetric Tablet

Item type

Communication

Current Location

Tampu

Manufacturer

Tawantinsuyu

Owning Organization

Tawantinsuyu

Rarity

Useful only to quipucamayocs

Dimensions

(33x27)

Raw materials & Components

• Carved Wood
• Stone Slabs
• Baked Clay
• Seeds or Pebbles or Kernals
• Paper
• Bone

Tools

• Bronze or Copper Chisle
• Stone Hammer

Imperial Accountant by kaolin p