One of the
best examples of the megalithic stonework of pre-Columbian Peru is found along Cusco’s
Calle Hatunrumiyoc, or “Street of the
Great Stone.”
Located
just east of the Plaza de Armas, this
charming pedestrian alley is flanked by walls of large, polygonal stones that
typify the “imperial” style of masonry assembled by a pre-Spanish civilization.
Fashioned from green diorite, the blocks are set with mind-boggling precision. No
mortar was used, yet their joints are so tight that a knife blade cannot be
inserted between them. Perhaps most extraordinarily, these walls have survived
at five centuries of earthquakes that devastated many Spanish (and even
contemporary) structures.
The most
famous aspect of Hatunrumiyoc is the
Twelve Angle Stone – so named for its dozen corners. Take a moment to
consider the amount of planning, measuring, and engineering that were required
to quarry, move, form, and set such a large and intricately shaped stone. Moreover,
it fits into the surrounding wall like a piece in a jigsaw puzzle.
How were
the walls of Calle Hatunrumiyoc built?
The pre-Columbian people of Peru are not known to have had the wheel, or even
iron for that matter. Supposedly, workers pounded these boulder-sized stones into
form using bronze mallets or quartzite stones. Since they had no large work
animals, such as the horse or ox, manual labor is theorized to have been the
motor for moving the stones. If so, how many workers would have been needed to
push and pull these multi-ton stones over wooden rollers and earthen ramps?
Another
mystery of Calle Hatunrumiyoc (and one
that characterizes imperial masonry throughout southern Peru) is the knobby protrusions
found on many of the stones. Some archaeologists believe they were designed to
help leverage the blocks. Perhaps ropes were tied to them, or wooden poles
wedged under them, to lift the stones. Yet, the protrusions are not found on
every stone, nor are they found on the interior faces of the stones. Rather
than aiding construction, perhaps these knobs were simply artistic add-ons, such
as signatures of the masons.
The Twelve-Angle Stone. Note the knobby protrusion at the bottom-left corner.
Many
historians believe the walls of Calle
Hatunrumiyoc (as well as those at Ollantaytambo, Machu Picchu, and many
other sites) were built by the Incas in less than a hundred years. This accomplishment
is especially impressive when one remembers that, just a couple centuries earlier,
the Incas were an ordinary tribe living in Peru. Who taught them their advanced
engineering skills and masonry knowledge? How did they learn so quickly, and
then train a workforce of hundreds of thousands of agricultural workers (who
only worked on these projects three months out of each year) to carry out the
work?
As with
the adjacent Calle Inca Roca and many
other streets and alleys throughout Cusco), the masonry of Calle Hatunrumiyoc is as mind-boggling as it is impressive. The
expertise and logistics required to complete a project of such magnitude,
durability, and beauty is remarkable. But while the Incas are famously credited
for the work, there remain many unanswered questions about how and why they did
it. Some historians debate whether the Incas were responsible at all, or if
they simply claimed these preexisting accomplishments as their own.
The
various theories offered in books, journals, and websites seems to point to one
conclusion: the mystery of Peru’s ancient architecture is far from being
solved.
Till next
time, don’t stop exploring!
Andrew C.
Katen
©Andew C.
Katen, 2017. Photos by Andrew C. Katen. Feel free to republish as long as
credit is given.
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