UR1166/KH0183

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Khipu Notes Exist - See Below

Original Author: Marcia & Robert Ascher
Museum: Museum für Völkerkunde, Berlin
Museum Number: VA47079
Provenance: Unknown
Region: Ica
Total Number of Cords: 362
Number of Ascher Cord Colors: 20
Benford Match: 0.467
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Datafile: UR1166

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Khipu Notes

Ascher Databook Notes:
  1. Construction note: The twisted ends of the main cord and first cord are linked together. Cord 1 is shorter than the other pendants and bound with thread at its end. 2.Construction note: Subsidiaries attached to the first subsidiary on pendants 2, 24, 135, 157, 179, and 201 are attached in a non-standard way. They are looped around both the pendant and subsidiary to which they are connected.
  2. This is one of several khipus acquired by the Museum in 1907 with provenance Ica. For a list of them, see UR1100.
  3. Assuming that the first pendant and the last pendant in the 10th group are markers, the khipu is separated, by markers and spacing, into 2 parts of 10 groups each. Each group has 11 pendants.
  4. With the exception of groups 7 and 17 (the 7 th group in each part), each group has the same patterning of colors: 2X, 2Y, 7X, Y is BB: W in all groups except groups 16 and 17 in which it is LC:W. The X varies so that the group colors alternate. In the first part (with the exception of 2 pendants in group 7), X is W in groups 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 and it is LB in groups 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, In the second part: X is B in groups 11, 13, 15, 19; LB in 12, 14, 16; and YG in 18 and 20.
  5. In every even group (groups 2, 4, 6, ..., 18, 20), all pendants are zero-valued (or blank) and there are no subsidiaries.
  6. In every odd group (groups 1, 3, 5,..., 17, 19):
    1. Positions 4 and 11 have no subsidiaries; position 3 has 1 W subsidiary; and position 1 has 3-6 subsidiaries or subsidiaries of subsidiaries. The unusual attachment noted in #2 above only occurs in the first position. Other positions vary from 0-3 subsidiaries from group to group.
    2. Pendant 11 is always zero-valued (or blank).
    3. The value in position 1 is the maximum.