Together with the excellence of their governmental system and
the extent of their food supply, the architecture of the ancient
inhabitants of the Peruvian plateau establishes their claim to fame.
Although early historians attempted to give the Incas themselves
the credit for the wonderful structures to be found in Peru, it is
generally believed today that most of the megalithic remains, such as
Tiahuanaco, Sacsahuaman and Ollantaytambo, are the work of a people
living many centuries before the Incas, whose own traditions carry them
back only about 400 years prior to the coming of the Spaniards. However
that may be, the ability to make equally fine structures evidently
existed down to Spanish times, although in later years such work became
less and less common.
There is a great uniformity in Inca architecture. In the highlands the
edifices are usually built of porphyry or granite, and in the coastal
regions more frequently of brick. The walls often have a thickness
of several feet, but are rather low, seldom attaining more than
ten or twelve feet in height. The apartments seldom open into each
other--usually onto a court. The doors, which ordinarily provide the
only entrance for light, are like the Egyptian, narrower at the top.
The ruins at Machu Picchu (mä-choo peek´-choo) and in that vicinity are
remarkable because windows are quite common in them. As the Incas had
not evolved the arch, their doors, windows and niches were crowned with
a lintel stone, in many cases necessarily a huge affair. Among the most
interesting features of an Inca residence are these niches, probably
used for shelves, perhaps for shrines, although if for that purpose
there would seem to be more of them than necessary in most houses.
The fineness of the stonework is, of course, the most remarkable
characteristic of the Incas’ architecture. They seemed able to
fit, with equal facility, blocks of stone weighing tons and those
weighing but a few pounds. Although they are not known to have used
the T-square, some of their angles are very true, and when it seemed
desirable, they could build a straight wall. Particularly beautiful are
some of their circular structures, such as the Temple of the Sun in
Cuzco.
It is probable that only the temples and palaces of the rulers were
so well built, and that the common people lived in houses of mud and
stone. One of the most remarkable structures in Peru, the temple
of Uiraccocha (u-eer-äk-ko´-chä) at Racche (räk´-chay), shows a
combination of fine stonework, and mud and stone. In addition, the
upper part of these walls, which tower some thirty feet high, is
of _adobe_ (a-do´-bay) only, and centuries of weathering has done
but little more damage to the sun-dried bricks than to the granite
foundations.
There is something incongruous in the fact that the roofs of the
buildings walled so beautifully, and often covered inside with
skilfully woven tapestries and gold adornments, were commonly of
thatch. The rafters were of wood, tied on to ring stones and projecting
cylinder stones with maguey withes. But, although they were ignorant
of iron, did not even mortise their timbers, and were content with a
dingy, unlighted interior, the buildings of the Incas were adapted to
the character of the climate, and the wisdom of their plan is attested
by the number which still survive, while the more modern constructions
of the conquerors have been buried in ruins.
Providing they escape the destructive hands of the treasure-hunting
Peruvians, only a gigantic cataclysm of the earth’s surface can destroy
these monuments to the stoneworking skill of Peru’s ancient inhabitants.
PREPARED BY THE EDITORIAL STAFF OF THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION
ILLUSTRATION FOR THE MENTOR, VOL. 6, No 3, SERIAL No. 151
COPYRIGHT, 1918, BY THE MENTOR ASSOCIATION, INC.
[Illustration: DOORWAYS IN INCA RUINS OF ROSASPATA]
_THE INCAS_
_Vitcos and Tampu-tocco_