Survey of 2 colored chords present in khipus from Leymebamba (UR001 - UR022)

Hi folks,

Below is the result of a survey I did of the 2 colored chords present in khipus from Leymebamba (UR001 - UR022).

The data is taken from the Harvard Khipu Database, from which I created a Master Book of all the Khipus (UR001-UR022) coming from Leymebamba site.

You can access the MasterBook-L-Khipus2.xls here.


Khipus UR001 - UR022
Provenance: Leymebamba

Museum: Centro Mallqui, Leymebamba, Amazonas

Total number of Khipus surveyed 22

Total number of chords in set 4775
Total number of pendant chords 3211
Total number of subsidiary chords 1561

Number of chords with 2 (or more colors):

twisted (barbershop poles) (A-B) chords
total 99
pendant chords 17
subsidiary chords 82

sectioned (A/B)(Leng A cm / Leng B cm) chords
total 23
pendant chords 7
subsidiary chords 15

spotted (A:B) chords
total 726
pendant chords 477
subsidiary chords 249

Conclusion:

Spotted chords (which are made up of only 1 component, if spotted) seem to be treated more more like regular (pendant) chords.

Twisted (barbershop or peppermint stick) chords and sectioned chords which are made up of 2 components (either twisted together or knotted together at one end) tend to be used primarily as subsidiary chords.

One can look at the role of subsidiary chords as _modifying_ / _adding to_ the information present on the pendant chords to which they are attached.

Thus one can see the role of the 2 colored twisted and sectioned chords as giving some kind of modifying information to the information present in the pendant chords to which they are attached.

Dennis
(moderator)