User:Stlsnyde/Sandbox

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"Harvard University researchers Gary Urton and Carrie Brezine used computers to analyse 21 khipu. Mr Urton said there are about 700 known khipu, two-thirds of which are arranged in a numerical pattern.

The others may hold the key to historical information and stories.

"We think those may be the narrative ones," Mr Urton said. "


LIMA PERU, Peruvian archaeologist Ruth Shady

"Previously the oldest known quipus, often associated with the Incas whose vast South American empire was conquered by the Spanish in the 16th century, dated from about A.D. 650.

But Ruth Shady, an archaeologist leading investigations into the Peruvian coastal city of Caral, said quipus were among a treasure trove of articles discovered at the site, which is about 5,000 years old.

"This is the oldest quipu, and it shows us that this society ... also had a system of 'writing' (which) would continue down the ages until the Inca empire and would last some 4,500 years," Shady said.

She was speaking before the opening in Lima Tuesday of an exhibition of the artifacts which shed light on Caral, which she called one of the world's oldest civilizations.

Found among offerings The quipu, with its well-preserved, brown cotton strings wound around thin sticks, was found with a series of offerings including mysterious fiber balls of different sizes wrapped in "nets" and pristine reed baskets. Caral's arid location at an altitude of 11,500 feet (3,500 meters) has helped preserve its treasures, such as piles of raw cotton - still uncombed and containing seeds, though turned a dirty brown by the ages - and a ball of cotton thread."

How are khipus constructed? They are made of spun and plied thread from llama or alpaca hair or cotton. I actually spent time in Bolivia studying weavers who speak Quechua, the same language the Inca spoke, to try to get some sense of what the Andean arts of spinning and weaving can tell us about how these ancient people might have manipulated those features.

What is it like to study the khipus? It's a real pleasure to work with them. They're beautiful, fascinating objects. A khipu is not like a textile with a complex design woven into it, but an object with up to a thousand knotted strings in very complex patterns, and often they are very colorful. Color was quite important--both natural and dyed.


Gary Urton http://www.archaeology.org/0511/etc/conversations.html

Are they fragile? "Some of them are, and you can't touch them--they would break or turn into dust. Many are quite well preserved, and you can actually study them without doing them any harm. Of course, any time you touch an ancient fabric like that, you're doing some damage, but these strings are generally quite durable. "


Lost City of the Incas, The Story of Machu Picchu and its Builders’ by Hiram Bingham.

"The Incas had never acquired the art of writing, but they had developed an elaborate system of knotted cords called quipus. These were made of the wool of the alpaca or the llama, dyed in various colors, the significance of which was known to the magistrates. "


Khipu Database Project http://khipukamayuq.fas.harvard.edu/index.html

The word khipu comes from the Quechua word for “knot" and denotes both singular and plural. Khipu are textile artifacts composed of cords of cotton or occasionally camelid fiber.


Conservation Register http://www.conservationregister.com/christening.asp?id=4

"All textiles are easily damaged by exposure to light. Silk is the most vulnerable, but prolonged exposure will cause changes and damage to all fibres such as fading, yellowing and becoming brittle. Bacteria, moulds and insects may cause damage to all textiles such as holes, grazed areas and staining. Damp conditions and the presence of protein-rich materials such as starch and foodstains increase the risk of this type of damage. Textiles are particularly at risk when handled or moved. In general, costume should be handled as little as possible, especially any metal elements as touching these with bare hands can mark the surface easily. Wear fine cotton or thin vinyl gloves when handling or touching the textile and remove jewellery that may snag. Keep food and drink away and avoid using pens or markers around this area. Keep any pieces or decoration which come loose with the item, in acid free tissue paper or a small bag. Controlling the environment Light, dirt, fluctuating humidities and pests all cause damage. Keep exposure to light, especially daylight (which contains ultraviolet radiation), to a minimum. Limit the length of time your costume pieces are displayed or otherwise exposed to normal domestic conditions. Colour comparison between the front and reverse of a textile or between concealed and exposed areas will indicate whether light damage has occurred. The fading of dyes is irreversible and may also be an indication of damage to the textile fibres. 

   * A conservator can explain the cumulative effects of exposure to light and how to protect items from light damage.

Try to keep humidity levels stable (for example, away from extremes of central heating). Damp conditions (over 65% relative humidity) promote mould growth and heat can make textiles brittle. Poor environmental conditions can also encourage pest activity. Check items on a monthly basis for insects and other problems. The larvae of clothes moth and carpet beetles (also known as woolly bears) are particularly damaging to textiles. 

   * If you find signs of insect damage or see adult insects near your costume or textile collection, seek the advice of a conservator. He or she will be able to tell you how to prevent damage, improve the environment and monitor future insect activity.
Packing and storage

The best way to keep costume and textiles safe is to ensure they are properly stored when not in use. Store items in a clean, dry, dark place and make sure they are accessible for regular inspection. Package and cover as much as possible to protect from dust which is often acidic and attracts moisture and insects into the textile. Box up or cover as much as possible; this protects objects from light, dust and excess handling. Boxes should also be labelled to make it easier to find objects later.


CLIR http://clir.org/pubs/reports/pub103/section5.html

At the technical level, good stewardship rests on the following principles and practices: 

   * preventive care
   * global treatment of collections, when available, for cost-effectiveness
   * use of item-level treatment for items of special value and vulnerability
   * special handling and security protocols
   * surrogacy to prevent damage and extend access
   * optimal storage facilities
   * networks of repositories and remote storage facilities
   * careful documentation of problems
   * constant assessment of progress in key programs and sharing of data about them
   * documentation of preservation treatments (e.g., deacidification, reformatting) on bibliographical records


Preservation Techniques

As with textiles, mold and moth damage are issues. Fibers can be abraided with rubbing or the weight of the itself if kept in a vertical position. Colors can darken with the onset of dust as well as with the use of certain dyes and mordants. Khipus are likely to have been made from a protein (wool) or cellulose (cotton). non textile material may be found on khipus to include shells. All textiles are damaged by UV light, damage can include fading and weakening of the material.Bacteria, mold and insects are all issues that can be commonplace with textiles. damp conditions and high humidity levels can cause these conditions when a protein rich material such as starch are present. khipu are at risk of further damage upon being moved and should be handled with great care, kept flat (horizontal) if possible to reduce the strain placed on the fibers from their own weight. Placing khipu on flat boards during a move is an acceptable form of transport. Neutral pH paper should be used if the khipu are to be placed on or around any sort of paper. Environmental controls should be in place to handle temperatures, humidity, light and dirt issues. If khipu are on display keep their exposure to normal ambient conditions at a minimum. If dyes were used for the strings fading may have occured, this will be irreversible and can indicate damage to the fibers themselves. Checking for insects and/or their larvae is an important environmental control. Relative humidity should be around 60% and temperatures should be low. high temperatures can increase embrittlement of fibers. Items should be stored in clean dry places, with low humidity and temperatures and minimal exposure to light. cool, dark and dry. Storing is often when damage can occur because items are not being "monitored" on a daily basis, although the more accessible you make the khipus the more likely you will be able to detect when issues of mold or insect damage are beginning to occur. store flat. ==

Conservation Techniques

If items are to be conserved close to their native heritage, local camelid or wool in natural colors can be obtained and used as mend breaks and splits within the cords. Each cord should be assessed, studied and conserved individually. Cords can be "mechanically cleaned with brushes, small tools and light vacuuming". The use of solvents is not recommended as it can cause further deterioration and damage to the cords.Rosa and Rosalia Choque Gonzales, conservators from southern Peru worked to conserve THE RAPAZ KHIPU PATRIMONY in the Andean village of Rapaz, Peru, spun around the area under repair in a similar fashion to the earlier repairs found on the khipu with local wool and camelid.stress damage that the fibers along the hanger rod had suffered due to sustaining the weight of the khipu (10 kg) in vertical position. Horizontal positioning is recommended.


Frank Salomon, University of Wisconsin-Madison Renata Peters, Institute of Archaeology, University College London With the collaboration of

this references the Salomon article[1]

more blah blah something to reference the conservation regiter ,[2]


Notes

  1. ^ Salomon, Frank; Peters,, Renata (2007), Governance and Conservation of the Rapaz Khipu Patrimony., Forthcoming.{{citation}}: CS1 maint: extra punctuation (link)
  2. ^ "Conservation Register".

References


Additional Bibliography

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