October 2017 Discover

October 2017^ DISCOVER^45

PHOTO BY SAM OGDEN, KHIPU GIFT OF PHILIP A. MEANS, DR. ALFRED M. TOZZER & DR. THOMAS BARBOUR, PRESIDENT AND FELLOWS OF HARVARD COLLEGE, PEABODY MUSEUM OF ARCHAEOLOGY AND ETHNOLOGY PM# 32-30-30/55; KNOTS BY JAY SMITH

READING ANCIENT STRINGS

BASIC KHIPU ANATOMY

KNOTS AND NUMBERS

PRIMARY CORD

forms the base

of any khipu.

Three main types of knots are used:

About two-thirds of all existing khipu use knots to represent a base-10 decimal

system. Placements of knots along a pendant cord represent different values that

are added together to reach a final number. The powers of 10 increase as the

groupings get closer to the primary cord.

KNOTS vary

in meaning

depending on

knot type,

placement

and direction

of twist.

To make the

cords, a fibrous

material is twisted

to form a thread.

Two threads

twisted together

are called a ply.

Cotton is the most

common material found in

surviving khipu today, and

it was grown in natural

colors including white,

brown and green. Dyes

were also used to increase

the color vocabulary.

PENDANT CORDS are attached to the primary cord and usually

are separated by space or color. Some khipu have additional

cords attached to the pendant cords, called SUBSIDIARIES.

Researchers continue to uncover ever more evidence that khipus of the Inka amounted to a complex data storage

system, with pieces of information recorded in every knot placement, color choice and twist of fiber.

Knots (as well as ply) can

be further divided by the

direction of slant along

the vertical axis.

SINGLE KNOTS

represent different

powers of 10.

E-knots and long knots represent individual units.

An E-knot is equal to the number 1, while a long knot can

have up to nine turns representing numbers 2 through 9.

Adding these units together gives a final total 3,482

Sources: Harvard Khipu Database Project, Sabine Hyland

This long knot

has three

turns and thus

represents the

number 3.

10s

Units

100s

1,000s

FIGURE-8, LONG KNOT

or E-KNOT

S-knots angle

from upper left

to lower right,

like center bar

in the letter S.

Z-knots angle

from upper right

to lower left.

COLOR AND MATERIALS

S AND Z TWISTS

1,000

1,232 + 2,147 + 103

100 100

0

0

2,000

200

2

30

3

40

7