Karen Thompson

Karen is a Senior Research Data Specialist (University of Melbourne). Formally an actuary, she holds degrees in Mathematics, Fine Arts, and Cultural Materials Conservation. She focuses on data organisation, communication, and cultural collections.

By Karen Thompson 08 Feb 2026 4 min read Museo Larco

Visiting a Khipu in Sydney

Being able to see a khipu in person is incredibly important for researchers and enthusiasts. And as I am located in Australia, this means such opportunities either require significant travel to the khipu, or a rare experience such as this, where the khipu has come closer to me.

By Karen Thompson 11 Jan 2026 9 min read

Counting the Khipus: How Many Are There to Study?

You may have noticed in Ashok’s post – Can We Use AI for Khipu Decipherment? – that “recent surveys put the total number of surviving khipus today at around 1,300 to 1,600”

By Karen Thompson 14 Dec 2025 8 min read KH0083

A Numerical Connection Between Two Khipus: An Informal Description

By way of introduction, I am a mathematician and data-lover and maker who, when growing up, also wanted to be an archaeologist and an art/ist teacher and an architect. I had long