Scientists Are Decoding a Mysterious Form of Writing From the Ancient Inca Empire—Here’s What It Reveals

Scientists Are Decoding a Mysterious Form of Writing From the Ancient Inca Empire—Here’s What It Reveals

Researchers studying an ancient form of writing used by the Incas in pre-Columbian South America have unraveled new clues to a longstanding mystery. The research, undertaken by Professor Sabine Hyland at the University of St. Andrews, reveals that the enigmatic form of communication, known as quipu (also written as khipu), helped record observations of the ancient climate during the height of the Incan Empire. These knotted-string devices served…

Inca quipu writing may have preserved ancient climate records in knotted strings

In the Peruvian highlands, above a narrow valley where fields of potatoes press against dry hillsides, a collection of knotted cords has remained in local hands for generations. Some are wrapped in cloth. Others hang from wooden beams, their strands stiff with age. Together they form one of the largest surviving examples of Inca quipu […] The post Inca quipu writing may have preserved ancient climate records in knotted strings appeared first on …