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submitted 5 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago) by alyaza@beehaw.org to c/science@beehaw.org
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[-] lvxferre@mander.xyz 5 points 5 days ago

By "textual info" I mean plain language, like we're using now. It's theoretically possible to encode it in khipu, not just for Quechua but for any other language; but doing it in a practical way is another can of worms.

Instead what I think that they used is what the video calls a "semasiographic system" - there are standardised codes for almost everything worth registering (from a bureaucratic PoV), and the officer/kamayuq is expected to be able to decode it.

For a silly example using English, it would be a lot like writing "Jn Smth in ptt 20 mze 35" and then reading it as "John Smith stored 20kg of potatoes and 35kg of maize here".

this post was submitted on 17 Nov 2024
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