Synopsis
Water and water worship were integral to the spiritual life of the Inca. The Incamisana, an ancient water temple that is part of the royal estate at Ollantaytambo, is a hydraulic masterpiece that serves as historical evidence of the importance of water to the Inca. Preserved under a massive amount of alluvial soil following the 1679 flood, the Incamisana was rediscovered in 1980, revealing a complex water system. The water system of open channels, buried conduits, hydraulic drop structures, eight fountains, and orifices was a well-designed and balanced flow system based on the same engineering principles employed in modern waterworks. Created several centuries before Bernoulli formulated the relationship between flow, energy, and elevation, the Inca were able to control the flow of water with a degree of sophistication that rivals modern engineers. In Incamisana: Engineering an Inca Water Temple, Ken Wright and his team analyze and explain the masterful design of the temple, which incorporates hydraulic works into an aesthetically pleasing ceremonial complex. Additional studies at the nearby Lip Fountain and Bath of the Princess Fountain further illustrate the engineering skills of the Inca. Set against a backdrop of impressive and mysterious cliff-face rock carvings, the Incamisana is also part of a larger water supply system for the region. Wright s team investigates the mountainside hydrology, geology, and paleohydrology supporting the fountains and the surrounding agricultural terraces necessary to support the Inca community. Extensively illustrated with photos and drawings, this book provides engineers, archaeologists, tourists, and armchair travelers with an appreciation of the civil engineering skills of the Inca people.
About the Author
Kenneth R. Wright, P.E., is founder and principal engineer of Wright Water Engineers, Inc., a Denver consulting firm specializing in water resources and municipal utility design. He is author of Machu Picchu: A Civil Engineering Marvel, Tipon: Water Engineering Masterpiece of the Inca Empire, and Moray: Inca Engineering Mystery. Co-authors include Alfredo Valencia Zegarra, Gordon F. McEwan, and Ruth M. Wright. Arminda M. Gibaja Oviedo, Magister, is a professor in the Social Sciences Faculty of Universidad Particular Andina de Cusco; she is a member of the International Council on Monuments and Sites and coordinates the Qhapaqñan project at the Department of Culture in Cuzco. For many years, she has continuously participated in different archaeological research projects in Cuzco, Coricancha, Machu Picchu, Pisac, Yucay, Moray, Choquepujio, and Ollantaytambo (Incamisana), among other sites. Gordon F. McEwan, Ph.D., is a Professor of Anthropology at Wagner College in New York. As an Andean scholar, he has led archaeological research projects in Peru over the course of 23 field seasons at Pikillacta and Chokepukio. Dr. McEwan's numerous scholarly publications have shed light on ancient Andean civilizations and his current research focuses on the origins of the Inca. Richard W. Miksad, Sc.D., is Dean Emeritus of the School of Engineering and Applied Science of the University of Virginia. He holds the Thomas M. Linville Endowed Professorship and is Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering. Dr. Miksad has numerous research publications in hydrologic engineering and his current research is focused on paleohydrological engineering studies of Inca heritage sites in Peru. Ruth M. Wright, J.D., is a graduate of Marquette University and received a Juris Doctor at the University of Colorado Law School. Wright is an award-winning photographer and has participated in work on numerous archaeology projects in Peru and in Mesa Verde National Park, U.S.A. She is co-author, with Dr. Alfredo Valencia Zegarra, of the best-selling The Machu Picchu Guidebook published in 2001 and revised in 2004. Her photo-essay Machu Picchu Revealed was published in 2008.
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