What Good is a Broken Cord? Beyond the Study of Complete Inka Khipus

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Fiber and Perishables in Archaeology and Beyond" session, at the 90th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The analysis of Andean khipus (or quipus)—knotted cord record-keeping devices, best known for their use by the Inka empire (ca. 1400–1532)—presents researchers with a unique challenge, as some believe these objects hold the potential for encoding information akin to writing. Consequently, khipus are often treated as texts or documents to be deciphered, leading to a strong emphasis on recording complete khipu specimens. While the continued study of complete khipus will undoubtedly advance research, this paper considers the usefulness of fragmentary khipus. What can be salvaged from broken, dispersed cords whose “textual” context has all but been lost? The goal is to demonstrate the utility of analyzing both complete and fragmentary khipus as we would any other artifact, by investigating material, structure, and general chaîne opératoire. Specifically, this paper presents the analysis of fragmentary Inka-style khipus and loose khipu cords from around Laguna de los Cóndores in the highland jungle of Peru. By broadening our approaches to khipu analysis, we will not only further our understanding of the khipu code but also the people who made and used this ingenious fiber technology.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Society for American Archaeology 90th Annual Meeting, Denver, CO (2025)   •
• Fiber and Perishables in Archaeology and Beyond

Keywords

Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 51955