Machu Picchu: A Civil Engineering Marvel
Machu Picchu, the famous "Lost City of the Inca," has fascinated and captivated archaeologists for five centuries. The royal estate of Pachacuti, an Inca ruler, was built in the fifteenth century and abandoned barely more than a century after its construction. How could the "primitive" Inca construct a city on top of a mountain? How could they solve the intricate problems of drainage, of water supply, of architecture? This detailed study of the city's construction is downright spellbinding. The prose may be a little dry-- its authors, with the exception of attorney Wright, are scientists by trade--but it is also clear and precise. The book tells us as much about the practical challenges of building a city as it does about the mysterious Inca, and it should be an immediate hit with armchair archaeologists and fans of the kind of ancient civilization documentaries that are a staple on PBS'sNova. Pricey but useful wherever there is interest in the topic.David PittCopyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved