Incan

architecture:

Incan architecture and city composition was a major part of

Incan life because it was one of the main things protecting
them and is a major key to the cultural past of the Incas. These
things were mostly the cities themselves and the walls they
were composed of. The walls were generally made from
fieldstone and harvested at a quarry nearby and hoisted up into
their place in the wall. Incas also were some of the pioneers of
agriculture engineering and farming techniques. Overall,
architecture was an essential part of Incan life.

Table of contents:
PAGE 1: INTRO
PAGE 2: TABLE OF CONTENTS
PAGE 3: AGRICULTURAL ENGENERING/QUIZ
PAGE 5: INCAN STRUCTURES: HOW THEY WERE
MADE/QUIZ
PAGE 6: INCA ARCHITECTURE/QUIZ
PAGE 9: POP QUIZ
PAGE 11: WORK CITED
PAGE 12: GLOSSARY

Incan Architecture and Agricultural Engineering:

By Ethan Veselka
Throughout the ancient times, farming was one of the most important and necessary elements
of a strong and healthy society. The key to farming is to have good irrigation systems, this was
what the Inca were good at. They built all of their farming land next to channels of water where
they could easily access the nearby water, brilliant engineers devised plans to create water
systems and they were made. This helped get water all to the farms and the cities, which brings
us to our next topic, the Incas had rectangular shaped buildings that allowed for a massive
amount of people to live in the city and prosper off the good growth (Aesthetics and style of
Incan architecture.Ant3145 inca.2, Oct. 2014. <wikispaces.com>) .The buildings were usually
only 1 story but were still spacy yet compact. All of this water allowed for the growth of lots of
corn and squash that fed everybody.
The most unusual thing was the fact that the
Incas had incredibly complicated wall building plans
and all of the walls were usually put together with
rocks weighing anywhere from 600 to 1000 lbs. and
were arranged as if putting together a puzzle.
Fortunately this made the walls incredibly strong and
durable, this is why they lasted until now, 500 years
later.
Furthermore, one of the biggest parts of the
empire was the roads. These roads ranged all over
the Incan empire allowing for fast and safe travel
throughout their lands. Because they had roads it
made it possible to send messages all across the empire, thousands of miles, and to other cities.
The way they transported information was to have runner boys, they would get the message
and run it to the next runner boy and then he would run to the next runner boy, this would
happen until the news was all the way there. It was one of the best news systems in South
America at the time. The power to travel like that and bring orders or news was a key element
in the preservation of the Incan empire. It helped them maintain power over there empire by
bringing orders and troops across the land. It also helped the income of the empire because
they could sell things and have merchants travel all over the empire and sell things. They could
THIS IS MACHU PICCHU, THE CITY THAT THE
INCAS FELL BACK ON DURING THERE WAR
WITH THE SPANIARDS, THEY STAYED THERE
FOR ONLY ABOUT 100 YEARS BEFORE LEAVING
THOUGH.

also transport money very quickly to other cities in dire need. This ability helped to widely
enhance the empires control over its subjects.
Last but not least, one of the greatest architectural feats of its time, Machu Picchu. This city
resides high in the Andes where even the Spaniards couldnt find it, strangely the city was only
inhabited for approximately a century before it was abandoned again. Then later, during the
Spanish conquest it was taken hold of again as the refugees from the war fled to their last
remaining city. These citizens gave no opposition and went into a secret hiding, to a place
where for hundreds of years they resided and for hundreds of years the Spaniards never found
them. This ancient city was built in 1400 A.D and still resides in the Andes today. (Machu
Picchu built.2, Oct. 2014. <worldhistoryproject.org>)

Test your knowledge:

1. Approximately what year was Machu Picchu built?
2. What was a key element to Incan farming?
3. How did the Incas send news across their kingdom?

Incan Structures: How They Were Made

By: Ty Smith

Much like the Egyptians, the Incas had used many building techniques that
were way ahead of their time, which are now the building blocks of modern day
Peruvian construction. For example, one theory is that the Incas had carved out a
slab of rock that was larger than the gap that needed to be filled on the wall. Then
they would make a mold of space that the rock needed to fill, by strapping logs
together in the shape of the gap or space. The Incas would then use clay to put
on and around the log mold until it was the perfect shape and size of the space in
the wall. They would remove the mold from the space and place on the side of
the rock that would be the outside of the wall. Next, the Incas would then make a
rough outline on the rock from the mold and carve it out. After, they would go
back and really pay attention to the carving by using a special tool to follow the
exact contours and shape of the mold to the t. Once the Incas made sure it was
cut correctly, they would move it to the gap in the wall and lift it into the space
using logs. Even then, after all of that, they took it one step further and filled in all
the cracks with adobe. But then again, since all the rocks making up the walls
were wedge shaped (the block of rock was only a perfect fit on the outside, but as
the rock went back into the wall it got narrower, so it was like a giant wedge) the
adobe that they filled the empty spaces with
was never seen, so the walls of Incan cities
looked almost perfect (Andrea). Even though
this theory is a bit ambiguous, there is many
instances where this theory is implied through
little variations in the rock/wall face.

Figure 1 The stones fit very neatly out

front, but got narrower as they went
farther back, like a wedge

Although the stone working was perfect,

the rocks themselves were very different. The
rocks that the Incas used to build the walls
were very different from each other. The
main rock that was used was farming stone

mined from fields. Also, the roots of the building techniques themselves were
mismatched as well. The Incas took some influences from Huari and Tiahuanaco
cultural buildings and is said that the Incas almost copied their building styles. In
conclusion, the Incas building techniques are almost as lost as the Titanic on the
ocean floor. Although there is many theories on how they built these walls of
safety, no one will know for sure.

Test your knowledge:

1. What did the Incas use adobe for?
2. How did the Incas maneuver the blocks in to the wall?
3. What were the tribes that the Incas took some building
influences from?

POP QUIZ
1. How did the Incas send information across the
kingdom?
2. What materials were used to create walls in the Incan
culture?
3. What was used to maneuver massive rocks into
position on the walls?
4. What tribes influenced Incan building techniques?
5. What tools were used to build most Incan structures?
6. How long is the trip along the trail to Peru?
7. What was the most common method of travel
throughout the Incan kingdom?
8. Around what year was Machu Picchu built?
9. A key element to Incan farming is?
10. What crops were most commonly grown throughout
the empire?

Works cited:
Aesthetics and style of Inca architecture.Ant3145 Inca. 2 Oct. 2014
<Wikispaces.com>
Andrea, Davide.A Theory on Incas Stone Fitting Techniques.Davide Andrea. 922-14.10-8-14<www.davideandrea.com>
Masonry and building techniques. 9 Oct. 2014 <Wikipedia.com. Inca
architecture.>
Machu Picchu built.2 Oct. 2014. <worldhistoryproject.org>
Things to do in Machu Picchu. 2 Oct.2014 <Tripadviser.com
What did the Incas use to build their homes with?2 Oct. 2014
<www.answers.com>
What specific farming and building techniques were used by the Incas? Answers,
2 Oct. 2014. <answers.com>

GLOSSARY:
Machu Picchu:
This city was an old city built by the Incas early in their
existence but was abandoned shortly until the Spanish
conquest.
Tribes:
Huari- this tribe was an inspiration to Incan building techniques
and dates back to nearly 1300 years ago.
Tiahuanaco- this tribe also played a major role in the design
of Incan architecture, and dates back to nearly as old as the
Huari.
Inca- this tribe survived over all the others and was the
biggest empire in South America at that time but was
eventually destroyed by the Spanish during the 1500s.

Sapa Inca: Leader of the Incan tribe, the king