Inca Numerical Recordkeeping System – History & Significance
Unraveling the Knots: Women, Khipu, and the Hidden History of Inca STEM
For centuries, the intricate knotted cords known as khipu have been shrouded in mystery. Were thay simply accounting tools, or did they hold deeper secrets of Inca society? A groundbreaking new study is rewriting the narrative, revealing the surprising role of women in Inca STEM and challenging long-held assumptions about knowledge and power in the empire.
Khipu Keepers: The Women of the Aqllawasai
imagine finishing schools not just for etiquette, but for advanced knowledge. In the late 1500s, chronicler Guaman Poma de Ayala described the aqllawasai, institutions where carefully selected Inca girls honed their skills. These weren’t just finishing schools; they were centers of learning, where older women used khipu to meticulously “keep track of everything.”
These young women, chosen by local nobles, lived in seclusion, mastering the arts of weaving, brewing chicha (a traditional fermented beverage), and preparing food for elaborate ritual feasts. But their education extended beyond the domestic sphere. They were also trained in the art of khipu, becoming keepers of vital information.
What happened to these women after their time at the aqllawasai was varied. Some were married to Inca nobles, others became priestesses, and tragically, some were chosen for human sacrifice. But a important number returned to their communities, carrying their knowledge of khipu with them.
Archaeologist Catherine Hyland suggests that this was likely how khipu literacy spread throughout the inca empire. “These women, who were not necessarily elite, taught it to their children,” she explains, suggesting a grassroots dissemination of knowledge. The maker of the khipu studied, known as KH0631, may have learned their skills either in an aqllawasai or from a woman who had graduated from one. While the maker’s gender remains unknown, the study highlights the crucial role women played in preserving and transmitting this vital technology.
Beyond Numbers: Khipu as a Symbol of Continuity
The discovery that a finely crafted khipu was likely the work of a commoner challenges the notion that numeracy was limited to the Inca elite. It suggests a surprisingly egalitarian distribution of knowledge within the empire and reveals a continuous thread connecting the Inca to their modern-day descendants.In some parts of Peru and Chile, modern communities still use khipu. For years, some scholars (primarily non-Indigenous) dismissed these modern khipu as mere imitations, clumsy attempts to replicate the lost technology of the Inca. But the new research suggests otherwise. If commoners were using khipu during the Inca empire, it stands to reason that this knowledge would have been passed down through generations to modern villagers.
Hyland emphasizes the meaning of this continuity: “It points to a continuity between Inka and modern khipus.In the few modern villages with living khipu traditions, they already believe in this continuity, so it would be the case of science confirming what they already know.”
This research not only sheds light on the complex knowledge systems of the Inca but also validates the enduring traditions of their descendants. It’s a powerful reminder that history is not just about the past; it’s about the present and the future, and the importance of listening to the voices of those who have kept these traditions alive.
DOI: 10.1126/Sciadv.Adv1950