Large slabs of stone were put together to design these complex and beautiful structures. (Kleiner and Mamiya, 2006) What is also interesting is that there was no cement or mortar put between the stones to hold them in place. The massive stones fit together so well, that they could not be dislodged. It has also stood the test of time. There has been a significant scientific effort to find out (using computers and simulations) how the Incas built these monuments without the benefit of advances of science. Various theories have been advanced, but modern science cannot explain Incan architecture. (Hemmings and Ranney, 1982)
The End of the Incan Civilization
It is said that the end of the civilization happens from within. The weight of advances cannot be borne by a civilization cannot be borne and it crumbles. This weakens the civilization and makes it vulnerable to outside influence. The weakening of this once mighty civilization coincided with Spanish expansionist attitudes. A Spanish expedition led by Francsico Pizzaro was enamored of the Incan riches and the vast wealth of...
(Morris, 2008) The civilization fell within a ten months, mostly because the Spanish massacred hordes of Incas wiping out the civilization. The territory finally fell into Spanish hands when the last king of the Incas, Atahualp was murdered.
References
Bauer, Brian S. The Sacred Landscape of the Inca: The Cusco Ceque System. Austin, TX: University of Texas Press, 1998.
Hemmings, John, and Edward Ranney. Monuments of the Incas. Albuquerque: University of New Mexico Press, 1982.
Julien, Catherine. Reading Inca History. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 2000.
Kleiner, Fred S., and Christin J. Mamiya. Gardner's Art through Teh Ages: Non-Western Perspectives. New York: Thomson and Wadsworth, 2006.
McEwan, Gordon F. . The Incas: New Perspectives. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2006.
Morris, Richard Dewayne. The End of the Inca: The Rise of Pizzaro. 2008. Suite 101.com. Available: http://inca-history.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_end_of_the_inca. April 23, 2008.
