Why is it difficult for historians to understand all the information recorded on quipu?

It is difficult for historians to fully interpret the information recorded on quipu because, while the numeric values are relatively well-understood, the methods used to encode historical or narrative information remain largely unfathomed.12

The challenges in deciphering these devices include:

• Complex Encoding: While experts have identified how knots represent numbers based on their type and position, the broader meaning of a quipu is tied to variables such as the cord's composition, ply, length, color, and the spacing between cords. How these physical attributes combine to convey specific historical events or phonetic information is not yet understood.12
• Lack of a Known Key: Unlike systems of writing that have been translated through bilingual texts, there is no established key for narrative quipus. Researchers have studied specific examples, such as the records kept by Don Francisco Cusichaq, which clearly document a sequence of events, yet the underlying system used to record that history remains a mystery.2
• Loss of Context: Because the Inca did not use a system of writing in the European sense, our current understanding of their society relies on fragmentary accounts from early Spanish observers, which may not fully capture the nuances of the quipu-keeping tradition.23