Can you solve it? The knotty problem of Paddington in Peru

Deciphering an ancient number system

UPDATE: Read the solution here

In the film Paddington in Peru, which opened this weekend, the plot revolves around a string bracelet that is said to contain mystical secrets.

The bracelet is supposed to be a khipu', which was the Incan way of recording numbers. Knots were made on string, and these pieces of string were attached together in a big bundle. The Incans used khipus to record dates, taxes and measurements, among other things.