Scientist and trained laboratory technician Trevor Hawke argues in an Academia.edu paper that Cusco’s massive walls at Sacsayhuamán and Qorikancha may have been cast as geopolymers rather than carved entirely from stone. His case cites the uniform colour and texture of large numbers of blocks, plus scoop-like marks and pillow-shaped forms. He interprets those features as slumping of wet geopolymer before curing. The construction method is Hawke’s proposal, not an established conclusion of Cusco archaeology.
Trevor Hawke’s geopolymer-casting proposal for Cusco masonry
PeruTheory
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Key facts
- Geopolymers are ceramic-like inorganic materials that harden through chemical reactions; polycondensation contributes to an alumina-silicate gel, and some formulations can cure at room temperature.
- Cusco’s Inca masonry includes ashlar work, such as Qorikancha, and polygonal work, such as Sacsayhuamán; these are not the only categories of Inca masonry.
- Hawke says the uniform colour and texture across large numbers of blocks are difficult to reconcile with hand-carved stone.
- Hawke interprets the marshmallow-like scoop marks and pillow-shaped forms as slumping of wet geopolymer under gravity before curing.
- Trevor Hawke is identified as an independent scientist and trained laboratory technician who presents the proposal in an Academia.edu paper titled “Evidence of geopolymer concrete in megalithic architecture of Cusco, Perú.”
Sources
Trevor Hawke - Research Profileindependent.academia.edu
Uploaded in 2026: "Evidence of geopolymer concrete in megalithic architecture of Cusco, Perú" by Trevor Hawke.
Episode 4: Trevor Hawke (Part 1) – Ancient Geopolymer ...podimo.com
... Trevor connects his artifact research to the mysterious architecture of megalithic structures in Cusco, Peru, and Giza, Egypt. He explores how ancient ...
(PDF) Peruvian polygonal masonry: how, who, when and ...researchgate.net
This masonry type consists of large stone blocks weighing from several hundred kilograms to several tons fitted almost without a gap between ...
Sacsayhuamánen.wikipedia.org
Dry stone walls constructed of huge stones were built on the site, with the workers carefully cutting the boulders to fit them together tightly without mortar.
Fabrication Methods of the Polygonal Masonry of Large ...preprints.org
This masonry type consists of large stone blocks weighing from several hundred kilograms to several tons fitted. Sacsayhuaman Fortress in some way for creating ...
Geopolymers, the enigma of Cusco's stonepirambla.org
The research is led by Trevor Hawke, materials scientist and Co-Director of the Research Division. Between August 2025 and April 2026 he studied ...
Inca Construction in Cusco Project, Part 1theperuchannel.com
the walls are not actually stone, but something called “geopolymers” or “geopolymer plastic” indicating they are not actually real stones, but ...
Evidence of geopolymer concrete in megalithic architecture ...academia.edu
Megalithic architecture of Cusco, Perú is globally recognized to be constructed with extreme masonry precision.
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