Ancient societies constructed remarkable monumental earthworks for millennia. In eastern North America, indigenous people began building enormous earthen mounds and other landscape structures more than 5,000 years ago. Only human muscle and simple hand tools were available, but the ancient ones clearly had a sophisticated understanding of scientific and engineering concepts.
Hundreds of years before the Inca Empire rose to fame and glory, the Tiwanaku culture flourished in cold and thin air in the Andes Mountains....Collecting and transporting heavy stone blocks from distant quarries were among the many impressive accomplishments of the Tiwanaku people.
Machu Picchu, the city built by the Incas on a steep mountain ridge, is a tremendous engineering achievement – and only one of many impressive constructions by the ancient Andeans. Among these is Chavín de Huántar in northern Peru, with a sprawling temple complex that was once the center of a powerful cult and an important pilgrimage site.
What do Machu Picchu, Stonehenge, and the Egyptian pyramids have in common? They were built with wood and stone tools – they are constructed from rocks – and they are examples of monumental architecture. When [...]
