SAPIENS podcast — my husband and I discuss khipu research
Stringing Together an Ancient Empire’s Stories
I'm an anthropologist and writer who lives in Scotland with my husband, two daughters and two cats! My work takes me to the Peruvian Andes where I lived in remote mountain villages, learning about the local customs and history. I also study colonial manuscripts in Spain and Peru, and the as yet undeciphered writing system of the Inkas -- the twisted and knotted cords known as khipus.
Stringing Together an Ancient Empire’s Stories
“Unravelling a Secret” by Bridget Alex. October 2017 issue of Discover Magazine features a major article on my khipu decipherment work. “High in the Peruvian Andes, in the remote village of San Juan de Collata, sits a wooden box that’s sacred to the locals who keep a close guard over it. It contains 487 cords […]
For those interested in knotted cords and ancient writing systems, please check out my newly published article in the Journal of Material Culture, “How Khipus Indicated Labour Obligations in an Andean Village: An Explanation of Colour Banding, Seriation and Ethnocategories”. This describes my latest research into the khipus that were used in Huarochiri province, Peru, […]