What counts as reading and writing? In this post, you will find the YouTube video exploring the Collata khipus (and khipus in general), and a full video transcript (with relevant sources and links).

YouTube Video

YouTube Video Transcript

Here, you will find the complete transcript of the video in the previous section with hyperlinked references/citations.

Intro

When you think of reading and writing, what comes to mind?

Perhaps it’s a book that you flipped through at school or a grocery list scribbled on a piece of paper? Maybe you think of letters or numbers or symbols?

Hi! I’m Dr. Smiti Nathan, and I’m an archaeologist. In this video, we’re going to explore an Andean artifact that expands our definition of what counts as reading and writing. 

Khipu 101

These are the Collata khipus. They were originally found in the remote village of San Juan de Collata in Peru, where they remain today. They are slightly different from other known khipus. Before we talk about this specific artifact, let’s talk about khipus more generally.

Khipu (kee-poo) comes from the Quechua word for “knot.” Quechua is an indigenous language of Peru that is also spoken in other Andean countries. Khipus are also referred to as “talking knots.” 

Khipus were used to record information by the Incan Empire (ca. 1400-1532 CE), which was centered in the Andes mountains. These objects were typically made from strung threads or strings. They were often made from cotton or animal hair like llama and alpaca (i.e., camelid fibers) [human hair has been found too]. Each khipu had a top, horizontal cord. Additional colored cords hung off of it. These colored strung cords were dyed from various materials such as indigo dye and cochineal insects. Knots of various types with various distances between them were tied using the colored cords.

Spanish historical documents indicate that khipus were used to record and send information throughout the Incan Empire.

For example, it seems that some khipus recorded information about countable things like the identity and characteristics of an object or population. This was recorded by the color of the strings, types of knots, and distance between the knots. The Incan counting system recorded on khipus was based on a decimal system. Knots located along the lengths of cords represented single units or tens of thousands of units.

Other khipus were used to record information about communities over long periods of time, similar to a calendar.

Only approximately 923 khipus survive today, so they are an illuminating and rare source of information on the Incan empire. Today, the Khipu Database (Khipu Archives) documents the existing khipus around the world. In addition, the newer Khipu Field Guide offers slightly broader documentation, as well as visuals, cleaned-up datasets, and more.

Collata Khipus

Until recently, scholars believed that the tradition of creating and interpreting khipus had died out after the Spanish conquest of 1532. However, some communities of people continued this practice into the early 20th century – including in the village of Collata. The Collata khipus are changing what we know about khipu creation and usage.

Also, beyond recording numbers and quantitative information, the Collata khipus narrated events! Local community members told researchers, Drs. Sabine Hyland and William Hyland, that these particular khipus are like a letter. They recounted an Incan rebellion against the Spanish in the 18th century. 

The Collata khipus have over 200 “pendant” cords in a large range of colors tied to a top cord. These pendant cords are approximately a foot in length and are organized into irregular groups by cloth ribbons tied to the top cord. Hairs of six different Andean animals–including vicuña, deer, alpaca, llama, guanaco, and viscacha –were identified in these khipus. Both khipus have few knots or none, and they have objects tied to them.

An important part of interpreting these khipus comes from touching them. For example, the feeling of the difference between soft and hard fibers–that may resemble one another in color–is part of understanding what the khipu is communicating.

Outro

The Collata khipus have expanded our understanding of what khipus recorded. They also help us reflect on the senses we use, both in the past and present, to read and write.

This video is part of our Artifact of the Day series, where we take a quick look at one (or in this case two) intriguing object from the past. If you’re interested in watching another artifact of the day video, check out the video here.

Credits

Brooke Norton: Series Lead, Co-Producer, Researcher, Scriptwriter

Noor Hanania: Lead Video Editor, Peer Reviewer, Logo Designer

Anya Gruber: Peer Reviewer

Sneh P. Patel: Peer Reviewer

Smiti Nathan: Director, Co-Producer, Support Video Editor, Researcher, Scriptwriter

Patreon Supporters

Thank you to our paid Patreon members for supporting the creation of this video:

Nancy Fulton, James D., Giancarlo Annese, Thomas Martin, Stuart A. Griffin, Tagg, Ann Brookens, Diana Madden

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