For over 10,000 years, various civilizations have occupied what was once the Inca Empire, a kingdom that extended 2500 miles from Northern Ecuador to Southern Chile along the Western coast of South America. These groups included the Tiahuanacu, Paracas, Ica, Nazca, Chancay, Chimú, Moche, and the Inca. The Incas were the most advanced of all, having learned much from all of their ancestors. Each civilization left behind traces of its culture, developments, and advancements in different areas. Through the in-depth investigation by Dr. Julio César Tello, Ph.D., we have learned a great deal about life and traditions as he studied the numerous mummies found in Paracas.
Maria Reiche, a German mathematician and archeologist, spent more than 40 years studying the famous Nazca Lines and debunking theories that extraterrestrial beings used the lines for landing strips. She often had debated with Eric von Däniken regarding this theory.
The Inca Empire lasted some 100 years, but their achievements have endured the test of time for over 600 years and have left a major influence on the world today. They took a hostile environment of rugged mountain peaks, harsh and biting winds, the driest of deserts, and an area of little rainfall and created an agriculturally advanced empire. Not wanting to lose valuable soil and its nutrients, they developed a series of terrace farming techniques throughout the kingdom. As the rains came in some areas, they would wash the soil down to other levels but never completely wash it away. They planted many varieties of potatoes and corn and enjoyed rich harvests. They took the potatoes and thinly sliced them and set them out in the cold night air to freeze them. Then they left them exposed to the sun to dry them and created the first freeze dried food in history, hundreds of years before the United States came up with the idea. They called these freeze dried potatoes chuño. All of these freeze dried harvests were stored in huge silos throughout the kingdom, so if one area had a famine due to crop failure, they could easily transport excess supplies to an affected area. This system worked very well in the high mountain areas.
The Incas were great engineers as well. They learned how to straighten and divert rivers, dig and shore up canals or water channels to irrigate their crops and improve harvests. While they did not have a calendar, they knew how to interpret the sun’s movements to plan for planting and harvesting. The Intihuatana or “hitching post of the sun” located in the mountains of Machu Picchu was a large stone with a central projection that cast shadows on different parts of the stone during certain months of the year. When it cast a shadow in one position, it was time to plant. A shadow in another direction indicated Intihuatana time to harvest. As farmers, the Incas were very creative and prosperous. They successfully farmed millions of acres in South America and tamed a very hostile environment. It is amazing to travel through Peru today and see so many different land features in a short time! One minute you are traveling through the dry Atacama Desert, and the next, you find yourself in a lush green heavily vegetated area.
It was also easy to get around the empire. Inca engineers constructed a system of roads that rivaled those of the ancient Roman Empire. So great were they that the morning’s fresh caught fish in Lima could arrive in Cuzco, the capital 357 miles away, for the Royal Inca’s lunch every day. A series of relay runners called chasquis were responsible for getting the fish to Cuzco. These runners could cover major distances in a day!! Since there were no other forms of communication, any urgent messages had to be sent by chasqui to get to other parts of the kingdom.
The Urubamba River (Sacred River) and the Amazon were the largest running through Peru and were very difficult to navigate. It also took a long time to cross them to get to the other parts of the country, so the engineers developed a series of suspension bridges high above the waters to facilitate crossing. Today building these bridges is a family/community affair. Children help in collecting the special grass which the women twist and weave into sturdy ropes. Then the men interweave and fashion these ropes into the various parts of the bridge and reinforce any weak areas. It is amazing how they can weave their way over the waters to the other side which might be more than 100 feet away and 100 feet above the water. Today in smaller areas with less distance to cross, they set up a small wooden chair as a carrier that slides along a suspended rope. This “transport” usually hovers about eight feet above the water and takes only a few minutes to cross.
Perhaps the greatest engineering fete was the construction of earthquake-defying buildings, especially in the areas surrounding the capital. These structures have endured a great deal of the earth’s movement for hundreds of years. Trapezoidal arches, windows and door frames, and inclined walls appear to be successful in preventing structural damage. Over the centuries, Cuzco has had a history of destructive earthquakes. However, a close examination of these walls on many of the old buildings proves the Incas’ superior engineering. Many buildings today show evidence of three periods of construction: Inca, Colonial, and modern. As the latter two show signs of cracking and crumbling, the original construction remains completely intact! It is a shame that the Spanish never took the time to discuss this architectural phenomenon with the Incas. Since most of what was Spain’s Empire lies in Central and South America, two vast areas which lie on major earthquake faults, residents would have benefited immensely from this knowledge, and not endured the tremendous loss of life and property damage over the centuries.
This is the famous twelve-angled stone located in the wall on Calle Loreto, the oldest street in Cuzco. Notice how the finely polished stones have been molded and polished so much that they fit perfectly into the stones around them. There is no mortar or cement of any kind holding them in place. The twelve-angled stone on the Calle Loreto Let’s count the 12 angles.
Machu Picchu, believed by many scientists and archeologist to be the holy city of the Royal Incas, is an ancient and now uninhabited city totally intact except for the thatched roofs that once covered the buildings. It is a fascinating place to visit. Its location high in the Andes Mountains at almost 8000 feet and incredible views are a truly emotional experience for all who visit there. Perhaps the most amazing thing about Machu Picchu is how the ancients managed to haul the huge rocks to such heights!! Not only that, but they also managed to get all of them to fit perfectly without using mortar of any sort. It is impossible to slip the blade of a knife between the stones!! The very narrow streets, the fitted doors, the high walls, and secret passageways all prevented invaders from entering. Lookouts could spot approaching enemies from miles away, warn the inhabitants, and secure the complex in relatively short time. (See National Geographic, The Mystery of Machu Picchu view this online at http://www.nationalgeographic.com/histor...). This video lasts only five minutes, but the scenery is breath taking. Also check out the Leonard Nimoy Ancient Mysteries Series for more videos and information on hauling the stones.
Check out this website for a panoramic view of the fourteen winding hairpin turns on the Hiram Bingham Highway from the train station to the ruins. It is a scary ride as two buses pass each other along the road, leaving only about two feet of road between the trail and dropping off to eternity!!! http://www.perurail.com/ Make sure that when you go you are on the first bus up and the first or last bus down. That way, the driver will have the whole road to his bus.
There are many theories on the purpose of Machu Picchu, but scientists have not come to an agreement. To date they have suggested that it was the hiding place of those who managed to escape the attacks of Francisco Pizarro and his ruthless soldiers. They managed to live here for quite some time, and then for whatever reason they abandoned the place. The complex is divided by social class into separate sections. There was one area reserved totally for the use of the Royal Inca and his family. The high priests and those who ministered to the Royal Inca would have occupied another area. Finally, there was a section set aside for the commoners.
Another theory holds that it was a resort area for the Royal Inca and his family and other nobles. Again the different sections would represent different social classes.
A third theory says that it was one of a number of fortified areas that guarded against attacks from outsiders. This is as good possibility as an examination of the architecture will show doors on special hinges. At the time of an attack, these doors would swing down and inward and people would fasten them on the inside. It would be impossible to penetrate them. Besides being on the entrance to individual rooms/houses, the doors also appeared at the end of each narrow passageway. People could move about from one part of their section to another without having to go outside.
When Hiram Bingham, a Columbia University archeologist re-discovered this area in 1911, it appeared that the site had been totally abandoned for hundreds of years. The natives revered the place and refused to enter the hallowed grounds. It was difficult for Bingham to get porters and guides to take him to the area, and once there, no one would join the work crew to help clear away the brush and vegetation.
Today, tourists look at it as almost a pilgrimage site, a “must see” on every trip to Peru. There are only two ways to get there. The more difficult one is to camp out and hike the Inca Trail on foot. Only the experienced hikers should attempt this trip. Check out this website for a wonderful virtual tour of the Inca Trail and commentary. http://www.raingod.com/angus/Gallery/Pho... This trek up the mountain winding roads is approximately 26 miles and takes four days to complete. The more comfortable is to take the tourist train for the 3-hour, 70 -mile ride through some of the most beautiful scenery on earth, passing through remote little villages, seeing Veronica Peak in the distance and its snow capped peaks at 18,000 feet. Because of the height of the trail, the train does a great deal of back tracking on the narrow gage tracks. The ride is relatively comfortable and tourists get to see a lot along the way. The new Vistadome trains have wide windows for taking great photos.
There is another train, the local, which takes the better part of the day to arrive because it stops at all the little villages along the way. The locals carry their animals, produce, and other purchases, and produce a colorful scene when the tourist train and the local train cross paths in the station at Ollantaytambo. People from the village walk along the tracks and negotiate the sale of produce to the natives who peer out the open windows of the train. On one such trip, and local tried to sell some potatoes to a lady on the train. The local weighed them with her small hook scale and told the other the price. She passed the bag of potatoes to her on the train. The one on the train had to re-weigh them, and then they argued about the price. With that, the train started to move, and the local lady had to run after it to retrieve her potatoes. No sale on that trip.
Believe it or not, in the 1500s the Incas had a better than 65% success rate on performing brain surgery. This technique called trepanation involved boring a hole in the skull, cutting out a small square patch, and performing surgery for brain tumors, migraines, or other head/brain related problems. The skull was then patched up again, and patients lived a normal life after completing their recovery period. Scientists have studied the skulls of some of the unearthed mummies to get a better perspective. Their medicine was quite advanced for the time.
The Incas were not lazy people. If they didn’t work, they didn’t eat. Everyone in that culture had a job to complete every day, and if he/she did not complete it, there would be problems and consequences to pay. The Incas were a very advanced civilization even though they did not use the wheel. They have made many lasting achievements that have passed through the ages and benefit us today. We need to examine their culture in light of their accomplishments.
Actividades
• As mentioned above, there are two ways to get to Machu Picchu: hike the Inca Trail and take the modern tourist train. Imagine that you are a real adventurer and you decide to hike the trail. Visit the following website and describe what your adventure would be like. Why would this particular trip appeal to you rather than taking the train? What would be some of the advantages of this trip over the other? What would you expect to see in the trail that you would probably not see on the train trip?
http://www.raingod.com/angus/Gallery/Pho...
• Visit the other website http://www.perurail.com/ for a virtual tour of Machu Picchu. What would you expect this “lost city” to look like today? Why do you think that so many tourists visit it today? Describe how you would feel visiting a city that was built over 600 years ago and lies in ruins at the moment? How long would you stay on your visit? What would you do during your visit? You are free to wander the grounds all day from about 7:00 a.m. until dusk.
• The train stops at a number of cities along the way: Urubamba, Ollantaytambo (a very picturesque little town in the Urubamba Valley), and Aguas Calientes. Follow this route on the map at http://www.infoperu.com/pics/cusco-topo.gif
Would you get off and wander into the center of town which is not far away and explore the city? Why would this be of particular interest to you? What would you expect to see there?
Source: https://www.richfieldcsd.org/cms/lib07/NY01913917/Centricity/Domain/97/Span%20II%20Mod%201%20Peru%20Inca%20Achievements.doc
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