> Which ancient civilization didn't develop a written language?And the answer: the Inca. Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons.Although they developed the largest empire inthe Western hemisphere, the Incas have long been considered the only majorcivilization that failed to develop a system of writing. Instead, they used asystem of knotted strings to record information.Instead of writing the language of Quechua, the Incas used an incredibly uniqueand intricate device called a khipu, or quipu. The khipu is a knot recordutilizing the decimal system to convey information based on the number and typeof knots presented on each string. Recent historian efforts have centered arounda transcription of Quechua using the Roman alphabet. However, modern spellingsof Quechua words are often contested.Although we don't know exactly when the Inca culture began to emerge, historiansestimate the rise of a distinct people group around the 13th century. However,it wasn't until 1400 CE that the empire began to take shape. Often, then, whenwe talk about the Inca Empire, we refer to when the Incas transformed from oneof the many dominant cultures in the Andes at the time to a conquering powerthat eventually ran from modern-day Argentina to modern-day Colombia.Unfortunately, the Inca Empire lasted only about a century, as instability andillness lead to Spanish acquisition in 1532. Certain aspects of Inca culture and society are still very much upheld andintegrated into modern day Andean society. One such concept is ayni, which is aQuechua word that translates to “today for you, tomorrow for me.” This wordencompasses the concept that we all live in an interdependent society and thatevery individual must give before receiving. During the Inca Empire, the conceptof ayni was most reflected in rituals like pagos a tierra, in which shamans andwitnesses gave various material and earthly goods back to Pachamama (MotherEarth). This was to honor and thank Pachamama for the great bounty she provided.To this day, pagos a la tierra are a common practice in Andean agriculturalcommunities.Learn more about the Inca Empire here [https://www.museumfacts.co.uk/the-incas/].