UR1084/KH0097

Original Name: AS084
Original Author: Marcia & Robert Ascher
Museum: Musee Quai Branly, Paris, France
Museum Number: 71.1930.19.470
Provenance: Unknown
Region: Unknown
Total Number of Cords: 319
Number of Ascher Cord Colors: 13
Similar Khipu:  Previous (UR138)  Next (QU012)
Catalog: UR1084
Khipu Notes: Khipu Notes

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Khipu Notes

Ashok Khosla's Notes:

    Juliana Martins proposes that this is an astronomical khipu - see Martins



Ascher Databook Notes:



  1. The finishing knot on P10 is knotted around P11. Thus, the end of P10 is tied to P11 at 5. 5 cm. from the bottom of P11.
  2. Small spaces on the main cord appear between some adjacent pendants. The darkened color of the main cord at those points, leads us to assume that a pendant was present but is now missing. These hypothetical pendants are included in the listing but designated as missing.
  3. By spacing, the khipu is separated into 25 groups but ends with a break in the main cord at the middle of the 25th group. A marker on the main cord separates the first 15 groups from the last 10 groups.
  4. At first glance, the groups seem to vary in size and color pattern. However, when viewed as groups of 15 pendants with some positions non-existent in each group, the colors and values are repetitions. The 25 groups of 15 pendants have been arranged in a rectangular table (see Table 1). A blank means the position is non-existent, an M is a missing pendant, and a ? indicates that the pendant is broken so the value is unknown. An unequal sign ≠ has been used to mark a change in color. Where there is no color change, but just a color anomaly, the value has been grouped with parentheses i.e. (39). Observe from the table that although similarities remain, there are decided differences between part 1 (groups 1-15) and part 2 (groups 16-26). Also, within part 1, there are several changes after the 5th group and after the 12th group.

    Table 1

    Group Position123456789101112131415
    11080122210040233365331211≠42456
    21091?22100402333(76)333342?
    310781221??M233366323342
    410691222?40M223366323342?≠
    51077(22)22≠?50≠M≠223266323343?
    6107812100502222233()323342?
    7117912≠100502222233663233434??
    810891210050M2233663233424??≠
    910781210040222223266323342467
    101087(12)100402222232()223342
    1110871210040M2232?324442
    12106512≠100≠40≠?22≠32≠M ≠3?≠(33)(42)-
    13912110100(4?)0222M32(66)32?32
    141030210100M≠022232326632?≠(42)
    1592421010040022232326632?(M)42
    1613561220010(22)3232M(20)?44(0)348??
    171164(12)?2006222111≠2121?31(0)22
    181185(25)?(200)10(12)2222?22?23?34
    1910151343≠1??151222232323M32≠?(34)
    20157514?200(7)3264645454M32?22
    211162134510061223232323(?)32?31
    22138512?100102243343?432222M32
    2395611(?)10014231323?13(?)22(?)22?
    249961002006?2323?22?22
    259971102001012