About the lecture:

This lecture will discuss new ideas about how the Inkas constructed their megalithic walls, such as those of Sacsayhuaman above Cusco in Peru. Although scholars know the technology the Inkas used to quarry, transport, and shape the stones that were used in their high-quality structures, the exact process of how they maneuvered and fit the building blocks of their megalithic walls has long been elusive. Proposed solutions have remained speculative. Fieldwork in 2024 involving excavation and observation of unfinished terrace walls at the site of Sacsayhuaman in Cusco provided direct evidence for how blocks were put into place.

About the speaker:

A member of AIA Society 333, Dennis Ogburn is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology and an affiliate of the Latin American Studies Program at UNC Charlotte. His research focuses on archaeology of the Andean region of South America, where he specializes in the use of geochemical analysis, ethnohistory, and radiocarbon dating to study the expansion and maintenance of the Inka Empire. His interests include the development of political power in ancient empires, the role of monumental architecture in state societies, and Inka warfare. He is conducting a long-term investigation of sources of Inka building stones in the Cusco region of Peru and is part of a multinational team conducting excavations at Sacsayhuaman on the edge of Cusco.