“Did the Incas Design Machu Picchu for Disaster? Uncovering the Secrets of Its Fault Line Construction”
Have you ever wondered why the Incas chose to build their breathtaking citadel, Machu Picchu, in such a peculiar and lofty spot? I mean, who thought, “Let’s build a city on a fault line, 8,000 feet up a mountain!”? But as it turns out, the very faults that make the place seem so precarious also gifted them with a treasure trove of pre-fractured rock — perfect for construction! Rualdo Menegat’s intriguing research unveils that these geological quirks not only provided ample building materials but also ensured water would flow directly into their high-altitude sanctuary. So, was it pure genius or just good luck? Seemingly, both! Let’s dive into the seismic secrets that kept this ancient community standing tall through the centuries. LEARN MORE.
Fault lines would have provided the Incas with an abundance of pre-fractured rock — perfect for building.
Rualdo MenegatThe reasoning for choosing this extreme location was three-fold (protection against earthquakes, a water supply, and readily available building materials), but all resulted from one factor: fault lines.
The Inca citadel of Machu Picchu is one of the most stunning yet confounding pieces of architecture known to man, lasting for 600 years high atop the Peruvian Andes.
But why would 15th-century builders erect such an elaborate city on a narrow mountain ridge and fault line 8,000 feet above sea level?
It turns out those forbidding conditions were not only advantageous, but also may have helped the city remain intact for so long. According to new research presented by Rualdo Menegat from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, the Incas were attracted to this confluence of fault lines for several reasons.
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