Tupu (unit)

The Tupu , also Topo , was a measure of length and area in Tawantinsuyu , the empire of the Inca .

Length measure

• 1 Tupu ≈ 7.5 kilometers

Area measure

• 1 tupu ≈ 0.5 hectare

The area is estimated to be about 1 ½ Fanega . The Spanish one is assumed to be the correct Fanega de tierra . Their size at that time was about 64 ares .

But there is another approach to sizing that assumes a tupu of 96 Ar. However, this value also fluctuates. Mathematically with the initial value of 2.4 acres (American) to 40.47 ares or about more than 97 ares, it is only slightly larger and would explain the following special significance of the measure Tupu.

A married man with no children could increase his property by 96 ares, one tupu for each male child and half a tupu for each female child.

literature

• Heinrich Cunow: History and culture of the Inca empire. Severus Verlag, Hamburg 2012, ISBN 978-3-86347-383-9 , p. 141. (Reprint from 1937)
• Hannes Blaschek: The Inca general. Novum publishing GmbH, 2010, ISBN 978-3-99003-002-8 , p. 5.