Not Just Knots: On the Role of Materiality in Andean Khipus
In its quintessentially three-dimensional nature, the Andean knotted string device known as the "khipu" conveys meaning through its entire material essence. Despite this, the constituent elements of khipus have remained unanalysed and unidentified until now (specifically colours and any fibre beyond cotton and animal fibre). I posit that khipu materials were deliberately chosen by their maker(s), not only for their sensory qualities but also for their independent symbolic values within the broader Andean cultural context. By conceptualizing the khipu as an assemblage of Andean knowledge, I propose for an initial departure from the paradigms of symbolic anthropology, preferring instead the approach of the anthropology of technology and integrating it with the material-focused branch of social semiotics. The former unveils the meaningful potential of human practices, while the latter emphasizes that materials inherently serve as semiotic resources within their cultural utilization. Subsequently, I will explore how this perspective can illuminate aspects of the information encoded in khipus through two case studies. The first examines an unidentified vegetal fibre systematically used in some Inka-style khipus, drawing on ethnobotanical insights from fieldwork in San Andres de Tupicocha, Peru. The second delves into the realm of colour, presenting it not just as a visual sign but as a material and technological component of the khipu medium. Data collected during my analysis of khipus in European ethnologic museums, coupled with collaborations with heritage laboratories, will provide the first-ever insights into the use of colours in khipus.
