The Last Incan Bridge | 100 Wonders | Atlas Obscura
TLDRThe Incan Road system, a remarkable engineering feat, spanned 25,000 miles across South America and included numerous grass-woven suspension bridges. The last remaining bridge, the Q'eshwa Chaka, is still rewoven annually, preserving a tradition over 500 years old. This process reflects the Incan culture's emphasis on fiber mastery, which extended to boats, armor, and even a complex communication system called quipu. Despite lacking iron and the wheel, the Incas developed a unique technological path centered on fiber.
Takeaways
- 🌉 The Incan Road system was one of the great road systems of antiquity, second only to the Roman Road system, covering 25,000 miles from Quito, Ecuador to Santiago, Chile.
- 🛤️ The road system was in use for over 400 years and required the construction of numerous bridges.
- 🌿 Instead of using metal or stone, the Incas built bridges out of grass, showcasing their unique engineering skills.
- 🌉 The last remaining Incan bridge is called the Q'iswa Chaka, which still stands today.
- 🇪🇸 When the Spanish first arrived, they were so afraid of these bridges that they would crawl across them on their bellies.
- 🧵 An MIT professor and students recreated an Incan bridge out of twine, demonstrating that it could hold over 4,000 lbs of tension.
- 👷♂️ Each Incan bridge was overseen by a bridge master responsible for maintenance, toll collection, and assisting travelers.
- 🌀 The Q'iswa Chaka bridge is rewoven annually, with each household responsible for weaving 90 feet of rope.
- 🔥 Once an old bridge reaches the end of its life, it is either cut down, thrown into the river, or ceremoniously set on fire before being replaced by a new one.
- 🧶 The Incan mastery of fiber extended beyond bridges to include fiber boats, armor, and an intricate knotted language called quipu used for record-keeping.
Q & A
What is the Incan Road system and why is it significant?
-The Incan Road system was one of the great road systems of antiquity, second only to the Roman Road system. It covered 25,000 miles, was in use for over 400 years, and ran from Quito, Ecuador, to Santiago, Chile, showcasing the Incan's advanced engineering capabilities.
What materials did the Incas use to build their bridges?
-The Incas built bridges using grass, which was woven into strong ropes and cables to construct suspension bridges, demonstrating their mastery of fiber technology.
How long were the Incan suspension bridges?
-The Incan suspension bridges were up to 150 feet long, showcasing their advanced bridge-building techniques 300 years before Europe mastered the suspension bridge.
What was the Spanish reaction to the Incan bridges when they first arrived in South America?
-The Spanish referred to the Incan bridges as the 'devil's work' and were so scared to cross them that they would crawl on their bellies the entire way.
How strong are the Incan grass bridges, according to an MIT study?
-An MIT Professor had his students create an Incan-style bridge out of twine and found that it could hold over 4,000 lbs of tension, equivalent to about 56 people spaced evenly across a 60-foot span.
What was the role of a bridge master in the Incan society?
-A bridge master was responsible for maintaining the bridge, collecting tolls, and assisting people in crossing, especially when they had livestock or needed help.
How is the last remaining Incan bridge, Qeswachaka, overseen today?
-The last Incan bridge, Qeswachaka, is overseen by the last bridge master, Victoriano, who continues the tradition of bridge maintenance and renewal.
What is the process of making a Qeswachaka bridge?
-The process involves taking abundant local grass, wetting it, and rubbing it together to form twine. This twine is then woven into larger ropes, which are used to create the bridge cables, a time-consuming and labor-intensive task.
What happens to an Incan bridge at the end of its useful life?
-An Incan bridge at the end of its life is either cut down and thrown into the river below or set on fire in a ceremony, followed by the creation of a new bridge.
How is the community involved in the maintenance of the Qeswachaka bridge?
-Each household is responsible for weaving 90 feet of rope for the bridge, ensuring a constant process of renewal and reinforcing the cultural significance of the bridge.
How did the Incas utilize fiber in their society beyond bridge construction?
-The Incas had an incredible mastery of fiber, using it to build boats, armor, and even a complex language system called quipu for record-keeping and taxation.
Outlines
🌉 The Last Incan Suspension Bridge
The script introduces the keshua Chaka, the last remaining Incan suspension bridge, which is a testament to the ancient Incan's engineering prowess. The Incan Road system, spanning 25,000 miles and in use for over 400 years, was second only to the Roman system. Unlike European bridges of the time, the Incas used grass to construct their bridges, which were surprisingly strong, capable of supporting over 4,000 lbs of tension. The keshua Chaka is overseen by the last Bridge Master, Victoriano, who demonstrated the time-consuming process of making the bridge, from weaving grass into twine to creating larger ropes. The bridge represents a cycle of renewal, with each household responsible for a section of the rope, embodying a living piece of Incan history.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Incan Road System
💡Keshua Chaka
💡Suspension Bridge
💡Bridge Master
💡Fiber
💡Quipu
💡Cultural Renewal
💡Engineering Feat
💡Cyclic Re-creation
💡Tension
💡Technological Path
Highlights
The Incan Road system in southern Peru was a great engineering feat, second only to the Roman Road system.
The Incan Road system covered 25,000 miles and was in use for over 400 years, running from Ecuador to Chile.
The Incans built bridges out of grass, a technique 300 years ahead of Europe's suspension bridges.
The Keshua Chaka is the only remaining Incan grass bridge.
Spanish conquistadors were terrified of the Incan bridges, believing them to be the work of the devil.
An MIT professor found that an Incan-style grass bridge could hold over 4,000 lbs of tension.
Each Incan bridge was overseen by a Bridge Master responsible for maintenance and toll collection.
The last Incan Bridge, Kesa Chakra, is overseen by the last Bridge Master, Victoriano.
The process of making an Incan grass bridge is time-consuming, involving twisting and weaving grass into ropes.
When an Incan bridge reaches the end of its life, it is either cut down or ceremoniously burned.
Each household is responsible for weaving 90 feet of rope for the new bridge, embodying a culture of renewal.
The Kesu Chaka bridge is still rewoven every year, maintaining a piece of the Incan Road system in working order.
The Incan Empire had a mastery of fiber, using it to build boats, armor, and even a complex language system.
The Queipo was a knotted fiber language used by the Incans for record-keeping and census data.
The Incan's technological path focused on fiber, potentially leading to inventions we cannot even imagine.
Transcripts
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