ancient engineers rule

[zappo]

Oh and...

All these science shows, on SVT Kunskapskanalen (The Knowledge Channel), put me in total awe of pre-colombian South American engineering. I don't suppose the Incas suddenly developed the fully-fledged amazing engineering skillz that these science shows purport, but that it's a long, well-established tradition that with the Incas is put into systematic use. (I really must read more about this, it's fascinating.)

It's a stone-to-bronze age culture, in a landscape with extreme terrain, sometimes frightful weather, humongous erosion, plus earthquakes, mudslides and volcanoes. And they made structures that _last_! Wow. Not just the stupendous rock walls with slabs of stone so perfectly molded and assembled you can't push a knife-blade between them, no, I'm thinking about the roads. Built along almost sheer cliffs 500 years ago, and they still exist. And I'm thinking about the cultivation terraces, painstakingly crafted onto and out of the living rock (as Tolkien would say). The irrigation canals. The... well all of it!

And the science shows make it out like it just suddenly appeared, and no big deal. Sheesh. I'm in total awe of all the ancient engineers, all over the world. Unsung heroes of humanity indeed. Rock works rule!