Archaeologists from the National Institute of Culture have reportedly uncovered three irrigation channels that confirm the existence of an advanced hydraulic system in the Sacsayhuaman fortress located on the periphery of the former Inca capital of Cusco. According to Agencia Andina, the irrigation system was designed by Inca Pachacútec, who ruled the Inca empire from about 1438 until his death in 1471.
The channels are reportedly 160 meters long, 1.9 meters high and between 1.6 to 2.5 meters wide. They also include small platforms measuring 1.8 meters high that slows down the flow of the water.
The channels are part of a hydraulic system of streams, screens, irrigation canals, fountains, reservoirs and artificial lakes that supplied water to Cusco, religious centers and to feed nearby agriculture.
“There is a lot to excavate,” said Archaeologist Rudy Leonel Torres Cahuana. “Every square meter in the park you find architectural evidence.”
