UR1120/KH0134

Original Name: AS120
Original Author: Marcia & Robert Ascher
Museum: Museum für Völkerkunde, Berlin
Museum Number: VA47083
Provenance: Unknown
Region: Ica
Total Number of Cords: 36
Number of Ascher Cord Colors: 9
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Catalog: UR1120
Khipu Notes: Khipu Notes

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Khipu Notes

Ascher Databook Notes:
  1. This is one of several khipus acquired by the Museum in 1907 with provenance Ica. For a list of them, see UR1100.
  2. By spacing, the khipu is separated into 4 groups of 8 pendants each. The color pattern for each group is the same (with the minor exception that pendants 7 and 8 in group 4 are B:GG and B/B-GG rather than the B-GG and B/B:GG of similar positions). In each group, there is one subsidiary on position 3 and it is the color of the pendant to which it is attached.
  3. The values in group 1 are the sums of the values of groups 2-4, position by position (with a discrepancy of 1 in the 4th position). The value on the subsidiary on position 3 in group 1 is also the sum of the values of the subsidiaries on position 3 in groups 2-4. Thus:
    \[ \sum\limits_{i=2}^4 P_{ij} = P_{1j}\;\;\;\;\;for\;\;j=(1,2,...,8) \]
  4. The ratios of the corresponding values is surprisingly consistent. For j =2,..., 8 and the position 3 subsidiary value:

    p2j/P1j = 0.342 max. deviation 1.2%
    p3j/P1j = 0.425 max. deviation 0.7%
    p4j/P1j = 0.235 max. deviation 0.9%

    The values on the exceptional position ( i=1) in the different groups, counterbalance each other. If 796 were subtracted from position 1 in group 3 and added to position 1 in group 4, the values in position 1 would also satisfy the above ratios.