Chinese  
New York Time: Monday, 10/13/2025    
Home    US    World    China    Arts    Science    Entertainment    Sports    Beyond science
Advanced Hydraulic Engineering Made Desertified Peruvian Valleys Livable 1,500 Years
2018-11-17 21:49:20   (Visits: 1045 Times)
photo1,Ancient Peruvian Nazca people built this spiral well. The spiral wells were built to give easy access to water directed from mountain springs to dry valleys. (Public Domain)
2,One of the several figures depicted in geoglyphs known as the Nazca lines. (Martin St-Amant/CCBY-SA)
3,Nazca irrigation canals. ( CCBY)
By Mark Miller,September 11, 2016 Updated: September 11, 2016
Aqueducts and man-made wells built about 1,500 years ago in Peru by the Nazca people are still in use today and supplying water for daily living and irrigation to people in desert areas near the modern city of Nazca.
The Nazca people had only very narrow, rocky valleys in which to live and grow their crops, so they implemented an advanced hydraulic engineering system that greened their lands and helped them prosper.
They are known as the Aqueducts of Cantalloc or, in Spanish, Cantayo. The accomplishment of creating them was arguably greater than that of creating the Nazca lines that are so famous around the world.
The ancient people made between 30 and 50 underground channels miles long to carry water from rivers upstream, from the valley, and from mountain springs to their crops and cities. They dug the channels and lined them with stones and wood and then reburied them. The hydraulic system includes 17 wells that have paths spiraling into the earth, where the running water can be collected. Researchers think people entered the wells via the spiraling structure to clean or repair the wells, especially after earthquakes.
The Nazca civilization did have some green, arable land available in the narrow valleys where they eked out an existence, but these engineered waterworks allowed them to expand their farming land. Among their crops were potatoes, corn, beans, cotton, and fruits.
The river valleys in the vicinity of Nazca are just as green today as they were about 1,500 years ago when the canals, aqueducts, and wells were constructed, because some of these hydraulic features are still used.
The 25 Best Rock Drummers Of All-Time
NASA Posts Photo of Crashed ‘Flying Saucer’
A Bold Vision for Mars and the Moon Will Yield Big Technology Advancements
Former James Bond actor Sean Connery dies aged 90
'What the hell were you thinking?': Trump berated White House staff for not ......
Orchestra of St. Luke's new principal conductor Bernard Labadie discusses Haydn's une
A US soldier publicly threatened to shoot at the Chinese. The US Marine Corps respond
Recent Media Reports Shed Light on China’s Influence Over Denmark
10 takeaways from an upset-heavy day of college football craziness
Bernie Sanders suspends his presidential campaign The Vermont senator acknowledges
Giuliani surrenders in Trump election subversion case, $150,000 bond set
Trump implies he won't leave the White House unless Biden 'can prove' he won
Rapidly Extinguish Small Fires, No Mess - Introducing Our Easy-to-Use Fire Blanket!
Mixed Martial Arts:Dana White: Conor McGregor Will Earn Biggest Payday Ever for Bigge
Trump Signs Executive Order Targeting Political Bias in Social Media Firms
How Chris Paul's wife, Rajon Rondo's girlfriend reportedly became involved in fight
SETI Investigates Unusual Radio Signal From Space
21 Runners Dead As Extreme Weather Hits China Marathon
Giants receiver Victor Cruz retires, joins ESPN
U.S. Weighs Letting Diplomats Leave China Over Tough COVID Rules
Contact       About Us       Legal Disclaimer