INKA MASONRY AND HOUSING

Inka masonry was extremely well developed. Buildings were constructed of local granite, cut with stone hammers, bronze chisels and axes. The polygonal shaped masonry fits so neatly together that there is no need for mortar, and you could not fit a thin blade between the blocks. The quality of the stone dressing depends on the function of the structure, for example an elite palace, or simple storage rooms.

Houses form the bulk of the buildings at Machu Picchu, they were constructed to have steep walls with high steep gables. Stone pegs were set into the outer gable and used to attach a straw thatch roof. In the interior of these buildings a number of niches are carved into the walls. Archaeologists have been known to refer to these as idol niches, but perhaps they were just storage shelves.

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