Sachsayhuaman is one of the most frequented archaeological sites near Cusco, but few guides show guests more than the amazing megalithic wall, which is of course impressive. However, we cover the entire site, as well as others in the area, and that takes all day to properly understand the true history of these amazing places, and the fact that Inca found, and did not make the massive megalithic works.
Here is a sense of scale of one small section of the giant wall of Sachsayhuaman, made up of stones as large as 125 tons each. The Inca did not build this, and say so in some of the ancient accounts, yet most guides presume they did. Rather than the Inca building all of Sachsayhuaman, it is far more likely that they “built at” the site, integrating their stone work into what they found there 1000 years ago.
There are many examples of what the ancient megalithic builders left behind, such as this shaped “structure” which looks as though it was snapped into pieces by a cataclysm, possibly 12,000 years ago that affected the entire planet, wiping out any advanced civilizations that existed at that time.
A series of 13 carved flat surfaces in very hard stone called ryolite, which most tour guides call Inca “thrones.” As the Inca were a bronze age culture, they could not have shaped these flat surfaces which are nearly perfectly level. The only tools we have in the 21st century that can shape ryolite are those that have diamonds as an abrasive.
Also at Sachsayhuaman, above, and rarely visited, is a huge megalithic shaped stone called the Chinkana. The Inca name refers that next to the stone is the entrance to a tunnel, that goes under the city of Cusco. We will see the entrance for ourselves.
The majestic cave of Amaru Machay, the “cave of the serpents” located very close to Sachsayhuaman. The massive stone from which this cave was made was sculpted by the megalithic builders long ago. And was used much later by the Inca as a place of fertility by the noble women.
