Ancient Inca ‘string writing’ was NOT just used for accounting

Hundreds of years ago, the Inca people in South America used elaborate twists of colorful animal hair much like a ‘written’ language.

It’s known that these cords were used to record numerical accounts – but now, researchers have discovered that they may also have acted as a form of phonetic writing, with specific combinations thought to convey particular syllables or words.

This is the first evidence that ‘string writing’ was used to record narratives, the researchers say, and could help to unravel some of the mysteries of the ancient civilization.

 In a recent visit to the village of San Juan de Collata, anthropologist Dr Sabine Hyland identified what are now the only known Andean phonetic khipus. 

Khipus, the knotted cords used for string ‘writing,’ are made from cotton or different colored animal fibers, including hair from alpacas, llamas, and deer.

In the village, Hyland was told by elders that carefully preserved twists dating back to the 18th century were ‘narrative epistles about warfare created by local chides,’ according to Daily mail

After partially deciphering the lost language, Hyland says the khipus were likely used in a logosyllabic system, like Classic Mayan.

In this system, each pendant cord would represent a syllable, the researcher says.

‘What we found is a series of complex color combinations between the cords,’ Sabine Hyland, professor of anthropology said.

 ‘The cords have 14 different colors that allow for 95 unique cord patterns.

‘That number is within the range of symbols in logosyllabic writing systems.’

The researcher found that the khipus contain 95 distinct symbols – more than those seen in the accounting systems.

And, small details within the khipus including the color, type of fibers and ply direction can have a distinct meaning.

At the end of each cord, these pairings appear to represent lineage names, according to the researcher.

The discovery claimed that the people used the system to record history, biographies, and letters.

Not only would the patterns be important in deciphering a khipu’s meaning, but the reader must also feel them to interpret the three-dimensional elements.

Hyland is set to return to Peru in July to find out more about the lost language and the Inca people.’ 

N.H.Kh