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Inka terracing in the Andes controls erosion and manages the power of water. Use this 360-degree interactive panoramic view of the Inka ancestral site of Pisac to compare and contrast erosion and terracing.
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Investigate how the Inka prevented erosion by controlling the destructive force of water.
Terracing was a sophisticated Inka technology involving elaborate work below the surface. Use this interactive tool and put your engineering skills to the test. Drag and place the materials in the correct order to create a stable terrace. How the materials are placed is important because the order of the layers in the terrace determines how fast the water flows.
Now that you have added all the materials to the terrace, let's see if your terrace is stable.
You've engineered a stable terrace just like the Inka.
After constructing the walls, the Inka filled the interior with a layer of rocks, a layer of smaller rocks, a layer of sand, and finally a deep layer of fertile topsoil.
Terracing was a sophisticated Inka technology, involving elaborate work below the surface.
After constructing the walls, the Inka filled the interior with a layer of rocks, a layer of smaller rocks, a layer of sand, and finally a deep layer of fertile topsoil.
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Watch the videos and play with an interactive model of the archaeological site of Tipón, where the Inka built sophisticated water management systems. Explore how water is redirected from the site today to irrigate agricultural terraces still in use and to provide drinking water to the nearby town of Tipón.
Channels were engineered to direct water from high in the mountains to the water management center.
CloseExplore an interactive model based on an actual archaeological site.
The Inka engineered sophisticated systems to control and manage water.
Choose one of the three canals below. See how water was distributed to irrigate agricultural terraces and to supply water to the local population.
CloseThe Inka could control the direction of water by moving a stone from one canal to another.
The Inka could control the amount of water in a channel by placing stones to limit where the water could flow.
By controlling the water in the canals, Inka water managers maintained a steady a supply of water for the population nearby.
CloseA stone is used to change the direction of the water.
CloseTwo stones are used to increase the water flow to one of the canals and to change the direction of the water.
CloseThe Inka could control the direction of water by moving a stone from one canal to another.
The Inka could control the amount of water in a channel by placing stones to limit where the water could flow.
By controlling the water in the canals, Inka water managers maintained a steady a supply of water for the population nearby.
A stone is used to change the direction of the water.
Two stones are used to increase the water flow to one of the canals and to change the direction of the water.
