The Inca Road
Over 7000 feet above sea level in the Andes Mountains, sits one of the new Wonders of the World. And rightly it should be known as such; Machu Picchu’s name, meaning “old peak” or “old mountain in the Quechua Indian tongue belies its beauty.
It consists of large walls, terraces, and thousands of steps carved into the rock escarpments as though they formed organically.
Undoubtedly, it was one of the more impressive urban constructions of the Incan Empire during the height of their influence. Yet, below the more than 150 buildings, temples, and sanctuaries, out of sight of the millions of tourists that visit the site every year, lies the true wonder of Machu Picchu.
The Incan Engineering Skills
The creators of this ancient site had more than just complex architecture on their list of skills; to the envy of many modern builders, the Incans were clearly incredibly evolved engineers, as they demonstrated these skills through their complex irrigation system of culverts and channels underneath Machu Picchu.
This system navigated the flow of water into channels and fountains, and unbelievably, it still works to this day. It is perhaps this intricate understanding of water that led the Incans to prowess in another feat of engineering, the likes of which had not been seen anywhere else in the western hemisphere at this time – their road building.
The Inca Road
The Inca road system is believed to be the greatest feat of engineering to have been accomplished by pre-Hispanic Americans. Entirely constructed by hand - without any form of iron or wheel - it stretches approximately 3,700 miles along the Andes, from what is known as present-day Columbia to Chile.
Although it continues to be known as the Inca Road, it is far from a singular path and instead consists of a network of trails that interact very similarly to a modern-day road system of motorways, primary roads, and secondary roads. In fact, the complexity of the system transformed a tiny kingdom into a thriving empire as it linked hundreds of communities.
Much of the reason for the sustainability of the Inca Road comes from their understanding of and respect for the environment – Mother Nature was at the root of all their choices.
Water destroys most roads, so the Incans designed their steps to naturally dissipate the water’s force and therefore reduce its erosive power. Furthermore, they used local stone on the higher mountainous altitudes to help protect the road’s surface from cracking and chipping due to repeated ice formation and thaw.
What’s more, the Incas understood that they were building in an area that was prone to seismic activity, which has generated great interest from modern engineers as they attempt to emulate their techniques.
The spirituality of the Inca Road
However, for the Andean people - both from the past and those currently living there – the Inca Road is considerably more than just an admirable transport system. It is a connection to the spiritual world.
An example of this occurs every June; in an area called Huinchiri which sits at more than 12,000 feet in altitude, the residents of four villages prepare bushels of long, coarse grasses and manipulate them into narrow ropes, which in turn are twisted together to form cables. These villagers then descend the mountain to the edge of a rocky canyon above the Apurímac River. At this point, the village elders give blessings to nature as they sacrifice small animals. After this ritual, they spend three days treacherously linking one side of the ravine to the other by using the old bridge from the previous year which has become weather-worn and sun dried. Once complete, the old bridge is cut and is allowed to fall into the rushing waters of the river below. The new bridge now links both sides of the ravine, and thus the spiritual and physical world. Therefore, it is clear that the Inca Road is a living road for reasons beyond the fact that the Andean people still use and worship it, but instead because it continues to thrive with their energy and spirit.
The pervading interest in the Inca Road is not just because it is a feat of incredible engineering and devotion; it’s because of the determination to use an ancient culture’s knowledge to help us to understand some of the methods and processes of the past and bring them into the future.