Inca Hydrodynamics at the Chachabamba Archeological Site (Machu Picchu National Archeological Park, Peru)

Summary

This is an abstract from the "Water Management in the Andes: Past, Present, and Future" session, at the 89th annual meeting of the Society for American Archaeology.

The Chachabamba archaeological site in the Machu Picchu National Archeological Park contains a unique water complex erected by the Incas. Based on archaeological investigations, it has been established that the function of this water complex was strictly ceremonial. The necessity to control water flow in an architectural context is often associated with the need to apply water in a spiritual context. Moreover, hydrodynamic studies of the water supply canals have verified the previous ritual-oriented findings. Due to the complex characteristics of the site, which is overgrown by dense vegetation, we employed a volumetric analysis technique not previously applied in the region. Three-dimensional documentation techniques based on lidar and 3D scanning were used to produce hydrodynamic analyses of the site, which facilitated the preparation of models that are key to understanding the function of the entire water system. As there are many potential archaeological sites within Machu Picchu Park where this analytical method can be developed, the presentation aims to share the methodology used and discuss its possibilities and limitations. The research was carried out as part of a collaboration between the University of Warsaw’s Center for Andean Studies and the Peruvian Ministry of Culture at Machu Picchu National Archaeological Park.

This Resource is Part of the Following Collections

• Water Management in the Andes: Past, Present, and Future   •
• Society for American Archaeology 89th Annual Meeting, New Orleans, LA (2024)

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Record Identifiers

Abstract Id(s): 39171.0