MM009 - Catalog Information

Small khipu fragment with six complex pendants. It is clear that when the fragment was sewn onto the backing that unrelated (detached) single cords were affixed near it, potentially to give the appearance of a more complete khipu. However, these do not exhibit deterioration or construction that is consistent with the pendants attached to the primary cord. (These nearby pendants are omitted from the recording.)
Additional Notes: This khipu is one of 10 sewn onto a black fabric backing. There is no evidence to indicate that the 10 khipus were originally part of the same artifact, and they are thus recorded separately. The tarp itself is inventoried under IVc.366.03; I append the letters A-J to signify which khipu is referenced in the data, since many individual detached cords are sewn on as well, but are not considered khipus (for the purposes of this catalog) since they lack their original primary cord. The tarp corresponds to drawings attributed to Erland Nordenskiöld, an early Swedish archaeologist and anthropologist who was a head curator of the Ethnographic Museum in Gothenburg.
All khipus I have studied are currently designated "MM", following convention in the field (and until a more suitable replacement convention is agreed upon)
(Manuel Medrano)