Machu Picchu, beyond the aesthetic

Many people marvel at the stonework and how it has withstood the years. Yet I see few postings that actually look at the actual engineering behind the construction. Below is a link about the water drainage responsible for allowing the structures to not wash away. While the author covers the fact they had drainage I don't think he stresses the slowing of the water flow with their drainage system to combat the destructive nature of fast flowing water. Their use of ungraded stone fill would act like an unseen gabion allowing for adequate water drainage without allowing runoff to gain enough speed to be erosive.

www.waterhistory.org...

originally posted by: Jarocal
Many people marvel at the stonework and how it has withstood the years. Yet I see few postings that actually look at the actual engineering behind the construction. Below is a link about the water drainage responsible for allowing the structures to not wash away. While the author covers the fact they had drainage I don't think he stresses the slowing of the water flow with their drainage system to combat the destructive nature of fast flowing water. Their use of ungraded stone fill would act like an unseen gabion allowing for adequate water drainage without allowing runoff to gain enough speed to be erosive.

www.waterhistory.org...

As noted the Inca had excellent engineers.

I honestly feel that today's civil engineers would do well to study how some of these civilisation dealt with environmental concerns. Machu Picchu receives close to 2000mm(70+inches) of precipitation per year on very steep slopes. we can speculate certain buildings were temples or royal palaces instead of just makes for various wealthy inhabitants based on artifacts but the sound engineering principles are stark in comparison to a site such as cahokia where expansion did not around for horizontal heave in clay as the original mound builders had allowed for.

Thanks for the interesting read. Certainly the Inca engineers had to tame water runoff before any ascetic concerns were made, that would be common for most early civilizations - earth works designed to tame flood and runoff waters as well as allowing for irrigation.

originally posted by: Blackmarketeer
Thanks for the interesting read. Certainly the Inca engineers had to tame water runoff before any ascetic concerns were made, that would be common for most early civilizations - earth works designed to tame flood and runoff waters as well as allowing for irrigation.

The first of the great sciences was that of hydrology for irrigation. It was the need for organization and large bodies of workmen that cities may have arisen. Irrigation also demanded the creation of math and engineering skills.

great document, thanks..interesting read..

a reply to: Jarocal

A splendid read, and a fascinating site overall. You are a very welcome addition to this place

originally posted by: skalla
a reply to: Jarocal

A splendid read, and a fascinating site overall. You are a very welcome addition to this place

While there is a wealth of good research available on the net they can be more difficult to find with a Google search. I find it curious to see multitudes of postings about "Advanced Ancient Civilisations" in regards to things merely speculative in nature with only tenuous proof at best while there exists a body of empirical data (ever growing) demonstrating exactly how awe inspiring the depth of their engineering skills were. This data could be used to provide insight in their thought process. The different approaches in food production bears a striking contrast Meso-America cultivated a wider variety of crops and domesticated fewer animals. What was their mindset behind this? Some suggest less species suitable for domestication but I find that speculative at best. Some people are putting forth the ideas that native Americans actively managed their enviroment to provide a diverse ecosystem making their hunting/gathering easier. As more of the amazon is examined/cleared it does seem to point at a larger pre contact population than initially thought. Anyhow I digress from the ooriginal topic of the thread...(I have a habit of drifting off topic as I view all aspects of life intrinsically bound)