that occur in khipus. In this model, colour banding is associated with individual data whilst seriation is associated with aggregated data. The archival and ethnographic evidence also explain how labour and goods were categorised in uniquely Andean ways as they were represented on khipus.Introduction:

Khipus are knotted-string devices that were used in the Inka Empire for communication and for recording information. We recently analyzed the names and associated khipu cords in a newly discovered hybrid khipul alphabetic text from the Central Andes. Results indicate a significant relationship in the text between knot direction and a form of social organization known as moieties, in which S-knots correspond to the upper (Hanan) moiety and Z-knots correspond to the lower (Urin) moiety. This relationship suggests that knot direction was used to indicate moiety in Andean khipus and, as such, may represent the first decipherment of a structural element in khipus since the decoding of the number system in the 1920s.

Khipus are knotted-cord devices once used in the Andes for communication and recording information.Although numbers can be read on many khipus, it is unknown how other forms of data may have been recorded on the strings. Scholars currently debate whether elements of cord construction, such as the direction of ply, signified meaning on khipus and, if so, how. Testimony from an Aymara-speaking khipu maker, collected in 1895 by Max Uhle and recovered from Uhle's unpublished field notes, combined with the analysis of his actual khipu provides the first direct evidence that ply was a signifying element in khipus. Moreover, the evidence suggests that ply signified through a principle of markedness in which S ply corresponded to the unmarked (more valued) category while Z ply corresponded to the marked (less valued) category. [writing systems, khipu, Andes, Aymara, Max Uhle] RESUMEN Los quipus son artefactos de nudos acordonados que antes se usaron en los Andes para la comunicación y el registro de información. Aunque se pueden leer números en muchos quipus, no se sabe cómo otras formas de información pueden haber sido registradas en las cuerdas. Investigadores actualmente discuten si elementos de la construcción de la cuerda, tales como la dirección de la fibra tienen significado en los quipus y si así es, cómo.Testimonio de un hablante del Aymara que hacia quipus, recogida en 1895 por Max Uhle y recuperado de sus notas de campo no publicadas, combinados con el análisis de su real quipu proveen la primera evidencia directa que la dirección de la fibra fue un elemento significativo de los quipus. Sobre todo, la evidencia sugiere que la fibra indicó que a través de un principio de marcación, la fibra S correspondió a una categoría no marcada (con mayor valor) mientras la fibra Z correspondió a una categoría marcada (de menor valor). [sistemas de escritura, quipus, Los Andes, Ymara, Max Uhle]

Recently discovered khipu --twisted and coloured cord --letters shed insights into the ancient writing system of the Inkas.

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