| At the contemporaneous Inca sites of Runcu Raccay, Sayac Marka, Phuyu Pata Marka, Winay Wayna, Inti Pata, Choquesuysuy, Chacha Bamba and Machu Picchu, there is a strong pattern of similarity in architectural style, detail and organization. The sites, which are located along a connecting road system, also share an extraordinary integration of architecture with the natural terrain. A formal analysis demonstrates that a conscious program of planning principles was dictated explicitly by an official stylistic program, and tacitly by the subtler requirements of Inca culture. These principles express the interrelated priorities of political strategy, economics, religion, and aesthetics. In the absence of excavation among these sites, a detailed delineation of the relationship between Inca architecture and landscape contributes to the understanding of the nature of the Inca presence in this zone which lies between the Imperial capital at Cuzco and the forested lowlands. |
