Because the Inca road crosses so many different kinds of terrain, water and water control was an important part of the construction and planning. The Atacama desert of Chile was crossed by a combination of circumventing large tracts rather River crossings, or moving the road inland to the foothills where water sources were available.
Elsewhere, retention walls, drainages, culverts and suspension bridges were built where needed. In some cases river crossings were only possible by the use of boats to ferry people across.
The fountain illustrated here is located in the Chichicara Mountains on the road between Huancacalla to Abra Choquetacarpo.
Sources and Further Information
Christie, Jessica J. 2008 Inka Roads, Lines, and Rock Shrines: A Discussion of the Contexts of Trail Markers. Journal of Anthropological Research 64(1):41-66.
Hyslop, John. 1984. The Inka Road System. Academic Press: New York.
McEwan, Gordon F. 2006 The Incas: New Perspectives. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO.
