Machu Picchu aqueduct and water engineering system. A spring of fresh water exists at the top of Machu Picchu peak The Inca engineered an aqueduct system spanning nearly a mile down the ridgetop The aqueduct zigzagged between giant granite boulders
A spring at the peak fed an aqueduct nearly half a mile long. The Inca engineered tunnels deep into the foundations, increasing water pressure as they narrowed. Water emerged into elegantly carved granite fountains in the heart of the city - a remarkable hydraulic system.
Key Facts
- A spring of fresh water exists at the top of Machu Picchu peak
- The Inca engineered an aqueduct system spanning nearly a mile down the ridgetop
- The aqueduct zigzagged between giant granite boulders
- Tunnels were built deep into the foundations of the city
- Water pressure increased as tunnels narrowed
- Water spilled out into finely cut and elegant granite fountains in the heart of the city
Related site: Machu Picchu — view location, images, and history on the Ancient Nerds map.
Source: The First Explorers of Machu Picchu: Megalithic City in the Clouds by Luke Caverns