What are some alternatives to writing that could be used to record information? For example, the Inca recorded information on pieces of knotted string that they called quipus.
If you are looking for methods by which to record information (other than oral, whoole 'nother discussion), historically there are the general categories
Iconography - branches off into Hieroglyphics and Chinese characters
Symbolic Representations - branches off into Quipu knots & sanskrit (first writing)
Those are the only two I can think of, for general categories (though I seem to recall a third one

)
Given that, any 'alternative' has to fit therein. So... how about carvings? little tableaus or counters or tokens representing things? Combine them for more fun (like towers of hanoi)... I'm picturing little carvings of cows with replaceable merchant figures (carved to look like the merchant) on a base with a fence. Toss in cattle tokens to represent heads of cows. Replace carving with painting for another method ( cave paintings anyone? )
Or, a much more unlikely scenario, a musical score where the notes (in pitch and length) denote numbers, and... something on the score represents the type of goods.
Sea shells, for maritime cultures, as a possible prototype of currency. Type = goods for market, quantity = number of goods. 4 shells of oysters = 4 flasks of wine for example.
You'll notice I'm fixating on marketing records... that's the first known purposes of recording information. I suppose astronomical related information too... in which case, mose of these could be adapted to it as well, but you'll need some concise/concrete method of abstracting numbers into neater records.
I suppose you could also carve stone floors to represent the heavens?
Or (and go away alien/conspiracy theorists) build actual buildings to record the information... ie, the alignments of buildings in Maya construction or Giza pyramids.
Animals would be another way... type & quantity useful for recording various things... just keep removing the younglings born to maintain the count.