© 2025 Boise State Public Radio
NPR in Idaho
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Who made Inca knot records?

The Inca society kept records by encoding information into a system of knotted strings. A new analysis of hair woven into these strings suggests that this record keeping wasn’t just an activity by rich elites, but that commoners could do it as well.

NPR’s Nell Greenfieldboyce reports.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

Copyright 2025 WBUR

You make stories like this possible.

The biggest portion of Boise State Public Radio's funding comes from readers like you who value fact-based journalism and trustworthy information.

Your donation today helps make our local reporting free for our entire community.