Penn Museum's Modern Khipu Provides Key to Andean Recordkeeping Tradition

The Penn Museum holds a rare modern khipu, a knotted cord device used for recordkeeping in the Andes. Known as the Cutusuma khipu, it was created in 1894 in Bolivia by a local official to track livestock. Unlike ancient Inka khipus, which remain largely undeciphered, this example is fully understood due to detailed documentation by archaeologist Max Uhle, who acquired it in 1895. The artifact offers unique insight into Andean information systems and is considered foundational to khipu studies. Researchers recently examined it at the Penn Museum in March 2025.