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Show The Ancient Qulpu. The qulpu reached its most elaborate form among the reruvlans, from whose language the term "qulpu," meaning "knot," ls borrowed. It consists of a main cord, to which nro fastened at given distances thinner cords of different dif-ferent colors, each cord being knotted In divers ways for special purposes, und each color having its own significance. signifi-cance. Red strands stood for soldiers, yellow for gold, white for silver, green for corn, and so forth, while n single knot meant ten, two knots meant twenty, twen-ty, doublo knots two hundred. Such simple devices served manifold purposes. pur-poses. Besides their convenience In reckoning, they were used for keeping the annals of the empire of the Incas ; for transmitting orders to outlying provinces ; for registering details of the army. |