Experts 'decipher' Inca strings

[DELUSIONAL]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/4143968.stm

Researchers in the US believe they have come closer to solving a centuries-old mystery - by deciphering knotted string used by the ancient Incas.

Experts say one bunch of knots appears to identify a city, marking the first intelligible word from the extinct South American civilization.

The colored, knotted pieces of string, known as khipu, are believed to have been used for accounting information.

<snip>

"We hypothesize that the arrangement of three figure-eight knots at the start of these khipu represented the place identifier, or toponym, Puruchuco," they wrote in their report, published in the journal Science.

"We suggest that any khipu moving within the state administrative system bearing an initial arrangement of three figure-eight knots would have been immediately recognisable to Inca administrators as an account pertaining to the palace of Puruchuco."

This probably doesn't quality as "writing" but it was a form of communication -- and the photos I've seen of the knotted cords has always fascinated me.

What would have happened to this civilization if they hadn't been eradicated by the invaded Europeans?

"Columbus Day" is coming up in October -- this should be a day of shame.

[Taxloss]

1. I thought this was a fascinating story.

A similar system of knotted string was proposed by a Scottish doctor as a "written" language for the blind in the days before braille.

[DistressedAmerican]

2. As A Professional Archaeologist (Teaching An Inca Class In Fall BTW)

I can definitely say this this is pretty huge stuff. This has been a major riddle for a very long time. A place name identification is a very good start. Thanks for posting this. Good for the students!

[DELUSIONAL]

4. I have long been interested in cultural Anthropology

and have read just about everything on the pre-contact cultures.

I'm looking forward to reading the article refereed to in the link above.

My main degree is in Psychology -- but I actually had more units in Anthropology.

The degree of organization in the Inca Empire certainly indicate a sophisticated recording system.

I believe that somewhere in my research I discovered that the Inca had invented the zero place holder long before the European thugs who invaded the Americas.

[Sacajawea]

3. Yes, they are fascinating.

Link?

FWIW...In his book "The Wine Dark Sea" (#16 in the Aubrey/Maturin series), Patrick O'Brian places Dr. Maturin in the Peruvian Andes. The Dr.'s guide receives a khipu and "reads" it very quickly. IIRC, the Dr. is quite interested in this.

This particular story takes place around 1812 or so. As Patrick O'Brian was usually quite accurate about most things, I wonder if there is any evidence that khipus were in use as recently as two centuries ago. (There are, however, instances where he made up stuff, as in a disease he called the "marthambles", which was never explained.)

Thanks for posting this! :-)