Overview

• The peer-reviewed study used radiocarbon dating and multi-isotope measurements of carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and hydrogen from a khipu’s human hair cord.
• The results date the object to the late 15th century and indicate a diet heavy in tubers and greens, unlike the meat- and maize-rich fare of Inka elites.
• Isotopic signatures point to life at roughly 2,600–2,800 meters in the Andean highlands, consistent with southern Peru or northern Chile.
• The findings challenge long-held assumptions that only elite male bureaucrats made and used Inka-style khipus.
• Researchers note the khipu was acquired at a German auction with limited documentation and call for analyses of additional specimens before broad conclusions.