Earlier in this class you assessed a wild claim and an academic claim in writing made about the Nasca lines in southern Peru. Then you assessed wild claims and academic claims presented in documentaries meant for the public regarding Stonehenge in England. In this assignment, you will be constructing an argument using information form peer-reviewed archaeological articles regarding how the Inca built the site of Sacsayhuaman in Peru.
This assignment addresses SLO 2 for the course (Construct coherent, evidence-based arguments).
Sacsayhuaman is a monumental complex located on the outskirts of the Inca capital of Cusco. It is described in contact era Spanish chronicles as the location of a major battle between the Inca and the Spanish. Sacsayhuaman is known for the large stone blocks used in construction and the tight, mortarless spaces between the monoliths.
In the following videos, tourists to the site of Sacsayhuaman state that they do not think it was possible for the Inca (humans) to have constructed this site.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7e-_ok5L3ILinks to an external site.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4gYskAe4WMLinks to an external site.
In this assignment, you will read the attached archaeological articles about Inca construction techniques and then use this information to construct the argument that the Inca DID build Sacsayhuaman.
Now, write a 2-page response essay answering the following questions:
- What is the wild claim made by tourists and others about Sacsayhuaman?
- Using the evidence in the two academic articles, what is a scientific explanation for how the Inca built Sacsayhuaman? What evidence are you using to argue for this explanation?
- What purpose did Sacsayhuaman serve within the Inca Empire? What evidence are you using to support this explanation?
