Kenneth Wright found up to 60% of Inca work at Sacsayhuamán was underground, focused on water management. His team mapped sand/gravel filters, deep channels, and catch basins. The esplanade soil acts as a natural filter, channeling water into two underground rivers — Saphi and Tullumayo — still flowing beneath modern Cusco.
Kenneth Wright's research revealed underground hydraulic drainage system
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Key facts
- American hydraulic engineer Kenneth Wright conducted extensive research at Sacsayhuamán in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
- Wright's team proved that up to 60% of the ancient builders' construction efforts at the site were hidden underground and directed at water management.
- They documented and mapped a complex underground drainage system consisting of multi-layered sand and gravel filters, deep channels, and catch basins.
- The soil beneath the esplanade functions as a gravel filter; water would soak through and follow the natural slope into designated channels and then into two underground rivers (Saphi and Tullumayo) flanking the hill.
- The Saphi and Tullumayo rivers now flow beneath Calle Saphi and Avenida Tullumayo in modern Cusco.
Sources
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