The Enigmatic Tambomachay: The Royal Inca Fountain of Pachacuti | Ancient Architects

At the height of it’s power, the Inca Empire stretched across the Andean mountains of South America, and although Cusco was the important capital city from the 13th to 16th centuries, the place where I and many other researchers often focus our attention on, there are so many other sites of interest that should be on your radar.

Many viewers will already be aware of Tambomachay, a large archaeological site with incredible masonry, royal and noble houses, natural springs, and a complex series of aqueducts, canals and waterfalls that run through the terraced rocks.

As well as being amazing artists, architects and builders, the Inca developed an ingenious system of irrigation, showing a clear understanding of water management at numerous sites across the empire. Without this knowledge, the empire would never have grown so large and so powerful so quickly.

Tambomachay is a prime example of this. The area may have served as a military outpost guarding the approach to Cusco. Some think it may have been like a spa resort for the Incan elite or was possibly the site of imperial baths. It could well have been functional but we can’t rule out a possible religious function too, because we know from oral traditions, as well as the attributes of various Inca gods, that water was sacred, and water here was especially important. It was also home to a number of sacred shrines.

Watch this video to learn more about Tambomachay, as well as a brief look at the complex study of Inca architecture, why there are so many conflicting styles and my opinions of the Enigmatic site of Tambomachay - the royal Inca fountain of Pachacuti.

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Sources to follow.
https://minds.wisconsin.edu/bitstream...
The Sacred Landscape of the Inca: The Cusco Ceque System By Brian S. Bauer
https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/20/10/...
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...
https://dialnet.unirioja.es/servlet/a...
https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1df...

More sources to follow...

#AncientArchitects #Inca #Tambomachay