Emmons County record. [volume] (Williamsport, D.T. [i.e. N.D.]) 1884-current, 1917-11-01
IN CITY OF INcAs
Ancient People Created Wonders
Of Architecture.
Ruins Found In South America Die.
Gloss 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 COM
munication to the National Geograph-
ic society by Prof. Hiram bingham.
director Of the Peruvian expedition Of
1915, sent out by the society and Yale
center of vanished civilization was
discovered by Professor Bingham and
his purity after they hud been lost for
generations.
The buildings Of Machu Picchu,
writes Professor Bingham, had an
elaborate system Of highways through
out this little known and almost uncx-
plOred country, which lies between
the Urubamba valley and the Apuri.
mao. The region was dcnsely pOpu-
lated, and Machu Picchu was Its cup.
ital.
Lack Of timber, the prevalence Of
heavy rains during part of the year,
and the case with which stone might
be procured early led to the develop
mcnt of stone us building material.
Strength md permanence We're Sc.
cured through the keying together of
irregular blocks. The upper and low
or surfaces of these stones We're fire.
quently convened or conceived, the
cOnveXity Of one srOne approXimating
the concavlty Of the adjoining stone.
In constructing their walls the pure
urch was not evolved.
Their pottery is marked by simple
and graceful lines, bcuring Il striking
resemblance to that Of ancient Greece
and resembling in It's simplicity nnd
utility some of the modern vessels ut
| present in use in French Kitchens.
Owing to the extreme moisture of the
climate, the remains Of cloth are very
few; but we know that the Inca peO-
pie actually did arrive Mt high de-
gree of skill IN the manufacture Of
textiles through their ability to pro-
cure the wool of the alpaca.
Their surgical tools were probably
Of bronze or obsidinn. Surgery mp
pears to have been practiced to q con-
siderable degree. If one may judge
| by the large number of trepanned
skulls that we have found in caves
within Il radius of % miles of Mnclu
| Picchu. In some cases the cause Of
the operation appears TO have been
disease; In Others evidence leads us
was intended to relieve pain caused
by wounds received in battle. Since
the favOrite weapon Of the Inca peO-
pies was the sling, and clubs were
common, 1t Is not surprising that the
skulls of many soldiers should have
needed the relief that came from
skillful trepanning. In the art Of war
they exhibit skill in defense rather
than offense. Notifications construct
ed with snlicnts aud re-entrant angles
so as to admit of lateral fire 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 over fifteen tons,
which were fitted together with skin
that has amazed all beholders.
Most unfortunate was the failure
Of the Incas to develop an alphabet,
or even some form of hieroglyphic
similar to that which existed in SOUTH
ern Mexico and Central America. It
Is remarkable indeed that people
who succeeded In equnling the an
cient Egyptians in architecture, en-
cheering, pottery and textiles should
have fallen SO far behind in the de-
velOpment of a written language. This
is the most serious obstacle that
stands in the way Of our learning mors
Of that enterprising race.