UR1097/KH0110

Original Name: AS097
Original Author: Marcia & Robert Ascher
Museum: Museum für Völkerkunde, Berlin
Museum Number: VA42553
Provenance: Unknown
Region: Pachacamac
Total Number of Cords: 64
Number of Ascher Cord Colors: 7
Similar Khipu:  Previous (AS139)  Next (UR051)
Catalog: UR1097
Khipu Notes: Khipu Notes

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Khipu Notes

Ascher Databook Notes:
  1. Pendants 62 and 63 are tied together at 25.5 cm.
  2. Construction note: The colors of the pendants have been constructed by threading W pendants with other colors for the first 4.0-9.0 cm. of the pendant cord. Thus, near the main cord, the pendants differ in color but near the bottom they are all W.
  3. This is one of several khipus acquired by the Museum in 1907 with provenance Pachacamac. The khipus with this designation are UR1097, UR1099, AS101 - Part 2-UR1102, AS104, AS110-AS112, UR1118-UR1119, UR1121, AS125, UR1131, AS134, AS139, UR1144-UR1145, UR1151, AS156, AS158, UR1163, UR1165, UR1167, AS170, AS172, AS187-AS189.
  4. By spacing, the khipu is separated into 4 groups of 2, 22, 24, and 15 pendants followed by a single pendant. Both pendants in group 1 are W and all in group 4 are BB:W/W. The color patterns in groups 2 and 3 can be expressed in several different ways. One way is let:

    • A denote the color pair G0:W/W, VB:W/W;    A' the pair B/W, VB:W/W;
    • B denote the color pair G0:W/W, BG:W/W;    B' is B/W, BG:W/W;
    • C denote the color pair G0:W/W, 0D:W/W;    C' is B/W, 0D:W/W

    Then group 2 has the pattern (ABABA) (BBABB) (BB) and group 3 has the pattern (CC'AC'C') (B') (BBABB)

  5. The values on the khipu are restricted to 0, 1, 2, 4, 5.
    In group 1, both values are 0. In group 4, there are only values of 0 and 1.
    Groups 2 and 3 share the property that many of the values are 1 and 5 alternately. Specifically:
    \[ P_{2,2i} = 5\;for\;\;i\;=\;(1,...,9) \]
    \[ P_{3,2i} = 5\;for\;\;i\;=\;(1,...,10) \]
    \[ P_{2,2i-1} = 1\;for\;\;i\;=\;(4,..,9) \]
    \[ P_{3,2i-1} = 1\;for\;\;i\;=\;(4,...,10) \]