The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1917-06-28
IN CITY OF '|NcAs
Ancient People Created Wonders
Of Architecture.
Ruins Found In South America Dis.
clcse Amazing Facts Regarding
Vanished Civilization.

Amazing and absorbing interesting
facts concerning the builders of the
wonderful city Of Machu Picchu, the
ancient Incas, are given In a COM
munication to the National Geograph-
lc society by Prof. Hiram Bingham,
director of the Peruvian expedition OF
1915, sent out by the society and Yale
university. The ruins of this great
center OF n vanished civilization was
discovered by Professor Bingham and
his party after they had been lost for
generations.
The buildings of Machu plcchu,
writes Professor Bingham, had an
elaborate system of highways through.
out tliis little known and almost uneN.
plored country, which lies between
the Urubamba valley and the Apuri-
mao, The region was densely popu.
lated, and Machu Picchu was its cap.
ltal.
Lack of timber, the prevalence of
heavy rains during part of the year,
and the ease with which stone might
be procured early led to the develop.
ment of stone ms building material.
Strength and permnence We're Sc.
cured through the keying together OF
irregular blocks. The upper and low.
er surfaces of these stones were FIRE.
quently conveXed or concaved, the
convexity of one stone npproXimating
the cuncavity OF the adjoining stone.
In constructing their walls the pure
arch was not evolved. v
Their pottery IS marked by simple
and graceful lines, bearing striking
resemblance to that of ancient Greece
and resembling in it's simplicity and
utility some of the modern vessels at
present in use in French kitchens.
Owing to the extreme moisture of the
climate, the remains of cloth are very
few; but we know thai. the, Inca peo-
pie actually did arrive ct Il high de-
gree of skill in the mpI,ffacture of
textiles through their atAlity to pro.
cure the. wool of the alpaca
Their surgical tools We're probably
Of bronze or obsidian4 HSIirgery APP
pears to have been praq.eeJ to con-
siderable degree, If oSps. may judge
by the large number Of trepanned
skulls that we have f6lfnd in caves
within n radius of 25 miles of Machu
Picchu. In some cases the cause of
the operation appears 70 have been
disease; in others evidtpce leads us
to the conclusion athat' the operation
was intended to relieye }pain caused
by wounds received inFbattle. Since
the favorite weapon of the Inca peo-
pies was the sling, and, clubs were
common, it is not urpEi5ng that the
skulls Of many soldieiS Should have
needed the relief thR scame from
sklllful trepanning. Inflie art of war
they exhibit skill in defense rather
than offense. Fortlfeatle&s construct
ed with sallents and rese3trant angles
so as to admit of lateral Gre were not
uncommon.
They had no machinery and did not
use iron or steel. They used levers
and inclined planes. They also made
huge fiber ropes, out of which they
constructed long suspension bridges.
They thought nothing Of handling
blocks of stone weighing five tons and
upwards. Indeed, there are numerous
stones that weigh OYER fifteen tons
which were fitted together. with a skill
that has amazed all behefIers.
Most unfortunate wasSthe failure
of the Incas to develop an galphabet
ar avan soma form nf bfarnolynhir n
similar to that which existed In south.
ern Mexico and Central America. !,
is remarkable indeed that people
who succeeded in equaling the an
cient Egyptians In architecture. en-
gineering, pottery and textiles should
have fallen so far behind In the de.
velopment Of written language. This
is the most serious obstacle that
stands In the way of our learning more