The Inca tupu and the Shipibo Indian. A discussion of the controversial tupu of Incaic Peru and an attempt to define it - article ; n°2 ; vol.56, pg 449-458

Robert L.Farrier

Description

Journal de la Société des Américanistes - Année 1967 - Volume 56 - Numéro 2 - Pages 449-458
10 pages
Source : Persée ; Ministère de la jeunesse, de l’éducation nationale et de la recherche, Direction de l’enseignement supérieur, Sous-direction des bibliothèques et de la documentation.

Sujets

• Sociologie, société et politique

Informations

• Publié par: JOURNAL_DE_LA_SOCIETE_DES_AMERICANISTES
• Publié le: 01 janvier 1967
• Nombre de lectures: 178
• Langue: English

Extrait

Robert L. Farrier
The Inca tupu and the Shipibo Indian. A discussion of the
controversial tupu of Incaic Peru and an attempt to define it
In: Journal de la Société des Américanistes. Tome 56 n°2, 1967. pp. 449-458.
Citer ce document / Cite this document :
Farrier Robert L. The Inca tupu and the Shipibo Indian. A discussion of the controversial tupu of Incaic Peru and an attempt to
define it. In: Journal de la Société des Américanistes. Tome 56 n°2, 1967. pp. 449-458.
doi : 10.3406/jsa.1967.2304
http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/jsa_0037-9174_1967_num_56_2_2304THE INCA TUPU
AND THE SHIP1B0 INDIAN
A DISCUSSION OF AND THE AN CONTROVERSIAL ATTEMPT TO DEFINE TUPU OF IT INCAIC PERU
by Robert L. FARRIER
Rowe : « Information in Inca units of measurement is relatively abundant, but it is so
scattered, and unsustematized, as to give the impression that the Inca had no very precise
standards. Actually Inca engineering work almost required a system of measurement as
exact as that in use in the 16№. century Europe. (Handbook of the South American In
dian, vol. 2, page 232).
« ...a study of the modern uses of the topo in Andean countries, is much to be desi
red... » (Ibid., page 233.)
To-day with rocket-rides-to-the-moon nearly upon us, we may feel justly
proud of the precise measuring system that makes such daily comforts pos
sible.
And yet if our history, and most of our learning were suddenly oblit
erated by an invading force of ignorant soldiers from another world — - as
was the Inca culture — I wonder what a later investigator might think of
our measurements, when he constantly encountered such deviations as there
are in the quart (three of them, no less) — and three different bushels and
boxes, and barrels, and tons, — all of which vary in the most indecent man- ■
.
.
450 SOCIETE DES AMERICANISTES
ner1. This sort of thing goes on-and-on, but at best, it only partly prepares
us for what we may expect when we try to place a definite value on an
Inca measure that has been handed down to us through uncertain sources,
and expressed in old Spanish terms that are in themselves uncertain.
Rowe says : « Агза was measured by the topo... » (Here I list my own findings
along with those of Piowe2 :
1. According to data from the U.S. Bureau of Standards.
1 U.S. quart (dry) contains 67.2 cu. in.
1 U.S. quart (liquid) » 57.75 » »
1 British » 80.69 » »
1 bushel (interstate Commerce) 2250 12
1 ■>, (Court Customs Appeals) 2747.715
1 >, British 2219.2934
1 Barrel (not for cranberries) » 7056 » »
1 » (for cranberries^ » 5X26 ,, »
1. .12 sh. ton ■-■■ 1.016 M T 1 long ton ■-= 2722.22 lbs troy ^ 2240 lbs av =
1 short ton = 2430.56 , « =- 2000 „ „ ^ 89286 L. ton --^ .90718 M T
1 metric ton =-■ 2679.23 » - 2204.6 » » = .98421 L. ton = 1.1023 S T
1 basket may be 1 /2 pint, 1 pint, 1 quart, or any multiple of a quart.
A ream of paper may be either 480 sheets, or 500 sheets.
And a horse is measured in hands, and weighed in stones !
2. The tupu is often expressed in paces (or posas which may be taken as single steps,
or as two steps, of more or less uncertain length. Fot- example Rowe says :
« Measures of travp.linf/ distance were based on the pace (thatki) which is the most
convenient unit for travelers on foot. A larger unit called the topo was used along the Inca
roads, some of which had a mile-stone at every topo. The topo wan approximately
equal to 1 1/2 Spanish leagues, or about 4 1/2 miles... » (Cites : Cieza, Polo, Acosta,
Calancha, and Bertonio) « ...Morûa says that a topo contained 6000 paces. If both of
these equivalents are correct, the Inca pace would have been about 4 feet, counted from
the time one foot was put down until the same foot touched the ground again. That is
two steps, which is a comfortable walking pace for a man of medium height. » Here I.
interrupt Rowe's excellent article for what might seem to be a niggling criticism, prompt
ed no doubt by memories of screamingly tired leg muscles.
According to my arithmetic. Rowe's 1-foot pace would mean a 24inch step, which
is a rather mincing step for anyone ; and I, who have followed the mountain indián,
and his fly-footed llama train for hour-after-weary-hour up the sides of near vertical
cliffs, and across rugged, desolate country, where I dared not be left behind, can tes
tify that they do not mince, at least they didn't when 1 was following them.
What then can be wrong with the calculations ? I can only suggest this :
It seems that Rowe has used the common value of 3 miles to the league ; but I
have been informed that the OLD Spanish league ran 17 1 /2 leagues to the degree.
This would have made the league about 4 miles long instead of 3 ; and his topo would
have been 6 miles long instead of 4 1 /2, making the resulting step about 30 inches THE INCA TUPU AND THE SHIPIBO INDIAN 451
Writer Measurement (which I have reduced to acres as a standard)
Gobo quoted by Rowe as 50x25 fathoms equaling 0.8 acres
Garcilaso » » » » 11 /2 f anegas » 2.4
» » » Mishkin 1 fanega » 1.59
Means 60 x 50 paces (pasos ?) 1.8 »
Mishkin 44 x 88 yards 0.8
Sirivichi 3872 varas2 » 0.67
Markham 50 x 60 paces (pasos ?) 1.8
Prescott the land required to plant 11/2 hwt corn 5 ?
Ariquipa « Somewhat larger than the Guzco topo (id.) »
Guzco Given as « mas-o-menos 40 x 80 M2 » 1.0?
The foregoing values given to the tupu represent estimates given by some of the au
thorities both old and new. But varied as they are, I wish to point out that the com
plexity does not stop here.
It is common in the sierra back-country to figure the value of the tupu in fanegas
of which there are many — and each man, of course, has the only correct, and true
fanega.3 The variations extend even to one which I have found in the impeccable — well,
almost impeccable Zelàzquez who says :
«FANEGA (fah /NAY /gah) : Fanega de tierra ; extent of arable land, generally
of four hundred fathoms square ; and of pasture-land, five hundred. »4
Of course this last definition puts the value of the tupu a very long way from any
of the previously given calculations, since 400 fathoms square would give the fanega
a value of slightly less than 135 acres ; while 500 make it equi-
instead of 24. And since the 30 inch step is practically a world standard for military
use, the figures seem to tally.
(The Royal Geographic Society considers the pace as one step of 30 inches saying :
« Pacing at 30 inches per pace, at 120 paces per minute equals 300 ft. per minute,
or 3.41 statute miles per hour. »)
3. Value of the Fanega (Data from Bureau of Standards U.S.)
Fanega value (dry) Country
1.5745 Bu Ecuador, Salvador
2 . 75268 » Chili
1.57744 » Mexico, Guatemala
1 . 57501 » Spain
3.334 » Venezuela
3.888 Uruguay
7.776 » Fanega double „
The fanega may also be :
12 celemines, or 1 /12 cahdez, or 1 /60 caballeria, or 576 estadales, or 64 areas.
It also may be the amount of land necessary to plant 1 cwt. of maize. (Which by
the way, is the British hundred weight or 112 pounds, not 100 pounds.)
4. Zelàzquez, New Pronouncing Dictionary Spanish-English, p. 315. )
452 SOCIÉTÉ DES AMÉRICANISTES
valent to about 207 acres and the value of the tupu would vary accordingly. For example,
11/2 fanegas would be equivalent to either 202 acres, or 310 acres depending on whe
ther it was a tupu of arable land, or a tupu of pasture !
One might feel by this time that error is the norm, where the tupu
is concerned, and it was at about this stage that I gave up, and thought
no more about it for a while, until I discovered a small, but significant clue
concerning the tupu ; not in the museums of Lima ; not in the almost frve-
mile-high sierra ; and not in any of my various books, but in the Amazon
jungle, of all places ; and the clue came from an old Shipibo fisherman, of
all people.
It had been one of those langorous, lazy days when even time hung suspended, and
nothing seemed to matter very much. I watched my old Shipibo friend as he bent,
and straightened, and sharpened the tines of a small fish spear ; sighting down its
flawlessly smooth reed shaft, and feeling the sharp points critically with his fingers.
At last they seemed to conform to the standard of perfection he required, and picking
up a ball of incredibly strong, hand-twisted twine, he measured off a fathom of it,
and began neatly to bind the spear shaft.
Idly I asked him for the Shipibo word « to measure »"\
Tuponti, he said without looking up.
« That's curious », I thought, « He sounded just as if he were going to
say tupu ».
5. The following Shipibo, Quechua, and English measures are compared :
I nca English Shipibo name Translation
ro—ka—na (?) Finger width metoti tuponti finger— to— measure
yu-ku Thumb /to /forefinger meken hand-to-measure
ka-pa (Span ?) ? ?
kho-kok Cubit masko tuponti « short >.-to