The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1934-11-08
ANCIENT INCAN
FORT is FOUND
BY ExCAVATORS
Peruvian Stronghold Found
Equal Of Medieval
Castles.
EvSci,Hce Scrrice


LIMA. Peru. Nov. 8.-What /;
medieval American fortress was like
IN the DAYS OF the Incas in Peru
IS shown By excavations Of archael-
oVists % the Peruvian national mu-
scum here.
The fortress Of Sacsahuaman. nov
uncovered from four centuries OF
accumulated earth. reveals that In
can warriors lived and fought IN
stone forts as cunningly planned
and constructed as medieval castles
o. EurOpe's knights.
The Incan fortress was leveled ty
P.zarro's men IN the Spanish con-
quest days and since then only
heersay has told what the famous
place was like. The fort served as
the Tncan capital in time Of war.
II stood on a hall on the outskirts
Of CuzcO. peaCetime capital OF the
Ircan empire Incan kings took
refuge In the fort and there they
hid the sun gods gold
Excavations directed by Luis z.
Villacarcel reveal the old defense
n aaAa "a AAlE AAA q U.s.
Meats. Separate Walls
on three sides, where 1t is very
steep. a single cirCumvalting stone
rampant sufices. The fourth side,
easy Of ascent. Il guarded by three
walls. one within the other, each
AZ a higher level, and very strangely
planned. The walls zig-Zag in
twenty-three sharp angles across
the entire way Of approach. In
blrd's-eye view. these walls suggest
some Peruvian zig-zag pottery de-
sign. But they had this odd shape
for stability.
Wide avenues and meats separate
the walls. but they connect at Ger
tain places through doors which
closed by means Of movable stone
blocks. The zig-Zag bulwarks are
constructed of enormous blocks, the
largest about twenty feet long and
weighing many tons.
These walls built without cement
are marvels Of brute force. The
quarry from which the rock must
have come is miles away over noun
tains. The legend of the Tired
Stone" an uncut boulder half way
down the slope. reflects on Indian
labor methods. Thousands Of In
dams hauling simultaneously on
ropes. according to the story, could
not make the grade. The stone
sWeated blood IN the effort.
Round Reservoir Described
Many walls and foundations have
been uncovered on the fortress hill.
A round building seventy feet across
Is a maze Of small passageways.
Through its three COncentric circular
walls. Canal-like stone trenches "a
date in every direction.
GarCilazO de la Vega. native In
can historian living after the Span
ish Conquest. described a great
round reservoir. like this. at Sacsa-
huaman Water was said to have
been siphOned from another noun
tain. as there were no springs on
Sacsahuaman. ArchaeOlOgistS have
found no trace OF a siphOn, but the
many Subterranean canals do sug-
Et-cL tAldA AAlE AUAlAu otl uLLAAAC Ndo a
reservoir. The cOnduits lead to all
the buildings whose foundations
have now been excavated. and some
even extend down to the three zig
gag walls.
A second important maze-like
building on this hilltop. with walls
still several yards in height, has
doors narrower ar top than bottom.
Two long rooms are serrated with
rows Of clOSet-nke inches in the
walls.
Vanity Case Found
This building is thought to be
military barracks mentioned by
chrOniclers who saw the place be-
fore il was diSmantled. The Span
iards blasted ramparts and build
ings with powder, rolling lOOSened
blocks down the hill for building