A Commoner’s Hair Could Rewrite the History of Inka Khipus

For centuries, the khipus —complex knotted-string devices used by the Inka Empire to record and manage information— were thought to be the exclusive domain of elite officials known as khipukamayuqs. Historical chronicles written after the Spanish conquest reinforced this image of khipus as tools restricted to administrators of high status.

Now, a groundbreaking study published in Science Advances (Hyland et al., 2025) has upended this narrative. By analyzing a single khipu constructed partly from human hair, researchers discovered that its maker was not a member of the imperial elite but instead someone of lower social standing. This unexpected finding suggests that ordinary people may also have participated in the production of khipus, challenging long-standing assumptions about information control in the Inka world.

Who Made the Khipus? Revisiting an Old Question

The study confronts one of the most debated questions in Andean archaeology: Were khipus produced only by elite administrators, or could commoners also play a role?

Colonial accounts often describe khipus as carefully guarded state records, controlled by highly trained officials who served the central government. Yet the scarcity of direct archaeological evidence left room for doubt. If commoners were indeed involved in khipu production, this would imply a more decentralized and inclusive system of knowledge-sharing within the empire.

The new research offers, for the first time, biochemical evidence that sheds light on the social identity of a khipu maker.

The Science Behind the Discovery

The researchers focused on one khipu, labeled KH0631, which features a primary cord constructed from a long lock of human hair —measuring roughly 104 centimeters. To identify the likely status of the person whose hair was used, they employed stable isotope analysis of carbon (δ¹³C), nitrogen (δ¹⁵N), and sulfur (δ³⁴S).

Stable isotopes act as chemical markers of diet and, indirectly, social status:

• δ¹³C reveals whether a diet was based on highland crops like potatoes or on maize and coastal resources.
• δ¹⁵N indicates levels of animal or marine protein consumption.
• δ³⁴S distinguishes terrestrial diets from those rich in seafood.

When compared against baseline data from Andean populations, the isotopic profile of KH0631 pointed clearly to a commoner diet, lacking the luxury foods typically reserved for elites. Radiocarbon dating placed the artifact around the late 15th century, close to the time of Spanish arrival.

Key Findings: A Commoner’s Signature in Knots

The most striking conclusion is that the maker —or at least the contributor— of this khipu did not belong to the imperial elite. Instead, the dietary signature indicates a background consistent with rural or working-class individuals.

This discovery challenges the dominant historical narrative, suggesting that the ability to create and use khipus may have extended beyond the central bureaucracy. In other words, khipus might not have been a strictly top-down tool of control, but also part of community-level recordkeeping and identity.

Researchers also highlighted two striking details:

• The 104 cm hair cord suggests a deliberate symbolic act, rather than a casual material substitution.
• The chronological context places KH0631 in the crucial transitional moment before Spanish conquest, reinforcing its historical importance.

As lead researcher Sabine Hyland explained, the study reveals “stable isotope evidence for the participation of commoners in Inka khipu production” (Hyland et al., 2025).

Implications for Archaeology, Museums, and Education

The implications go beyond archaeology. If commoners contributed to khipu-making, this reshapes how we understand knowledge production in the Inka world. It calls for:

• Revising museum exhibits to reflect a more inclusive history of Inka recordkeeping.
• Updating school curricula to highlight the broader participation of communities in imperial administration.
• Encouraging further interdisciplinary research combining isotopic, textile, and historical analysis to uncover more cases.

Moreover, the study humanizes the Inka past by reminding us that technical and intellectual contributions were not restricted to the elite. Instead, the empire’s complexity was built on the involvement of people across different social strata.

The authors caution, however, that the conclusions are based on a single case study. More research is needed to determine whether KH0631 was an exception or part of a broader pattern.

Conclusion: Rewriting the Story of Inka Knowledge

The discovery of a commoner’s hair embedded in a khipu cord rewrites what we thought we knew about the Inka Empire. It suggests that information technologies were more widely accessible than previously assumed, and that khipus may reflect a more democratic system of recordkeeping.

This finding is not only a breakthrough in archaeological science but also an invitation to rethink how we narrate Andean history today.

Next time you see a khipu in a museum, consider that behind its knots might not only be the hand of an elite administrator but also the silent contributions of everyday people.

Topics of interest

History