Sydney Observatory Eclipse Trip 2010: The Inca World
The Sacred Valley of the Inca – fertile and full of Inca archaeological sites. Photo: Andrew Jacob.
Before arriving in Peru for the Sydney Observatory Eclipse tour of 2010 my knowledge of the Inca civilization was limited: they worshiped the Sun, built extraordinary stone walls and their empire was crushed by Spanish conquistadors a few hundred years ago.
These are some of my observations and recollections of our guides’ comments – please keep in mind I am no expert on South American civilizations or their astronomy.
The Inca were not an ethnic group but a ruling class. They kept their Quechua people uneducated and taxed. In return they supplied a trickle of astronomical information for agricultural use.
However, they built on centuries of previous knowledge acquired by numerous pre-Inca civilizations and developed a substantial and extensive administrative network. With a population of 16 million they had plenty of labour on call to build their impressive palaces, lined with gold & silver and their temples, terraced hillsides & irrigation canals.
Only 15% of the population was Inca and only they held specific and detailed knowledge about their rituals, beliefs and constructions. The arrival of the conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1532 changed everything. Using a dispute between two half-bothers who ruled the empire and a dose of treachery he supplanted Inca rule for his own. In the process the Inca were destroyed and their knowledge lost.
Today we are left with buildings apparently aligned to various celestial events including solstice sunrises and sunsets. We know of a few bright and dark constellations. However, with no written record we have no idea of the true purpose of many buildings, carved rocks and the strange nubbins of rock jutting out of many walls.
The Sun Temple at Machu Picchu showing the summer solstice window, masterful stonework and mysterious rock nubbins. What were they thinking? Photo: Andrew Jacob.
It is reasonable to assume the alignment of a window or rock towards a solstice sunrise or sunset is intentional because of the importance of these dates for agriculture. However, with no written records or true understanding of a lost cultures perspective on the world it is easy to overinterpret the evidence. And an alignment is not proof of intention.
Sydney Observatory, for instance, is aligned with the cardinal directions and has decorative architectural features. The only important ‘alignments’ however are that of the Transit Telescope (north-south) and the mount of the South Dome refractor. Without information about 19th century architecture and engineering skills or the concept of science a future civilization would not understand our building.
There seems to be much speculation and little certainty regarding the Inca. Everyone seems to have their own interpretation. An unsolvable mystery is the most enticing of all.
