MORAY: THE MOST IMPORTANT INCA AGRICULTURAL LABORATORY
Posted on : 07 February 2023
Moray: Inca Circular Platforms
The Circular Platforms of Moray, a great masterpiece of Inca agricultural engineering, are terraces that were built by the Incas.
Inca technology reached a remarkable level of development due to the inheritance of different cultures, but there is no doubt that the Inca ingenuity knew how to perfect and exploit the level of production of all its areas to the maximum.
Moray Engineering
The Moray platforms have been built with high geometric precision, occupying an area of 37 hectares, with 4 concentric circles, ringed by platforms with irrigation canals. The depth of the largest circle is 150 meters and the average height of each platform is 1.80 meters.
Microclimates of the Moray platforms
The arrangement of its platforms produces a gradient of microclimates, with the center of the concentric circular platforms having a higher temperature and gradually reducing towards the outside at lower temperatures, being able to simulate up to 20 different types of microclimates in this way.
Moray, dry season: During this season the average temperature is 22° Celsius, dropping to 6° Celsius at night.
Moray, rainy season: During this season the average temperature is 21° Celsius, dropping to 1° Celsius at night.
Purpose of the Moray platforms
Agriculture
It is believed that Moray may have served as a center for agricultural experimentation, treatment, and hybridization. According to various investigations, it is believed that experiments were carried out here with various crops at different temperatures with variations of 1 to 2 degrees with respect to the highest areas and as one descends to the bottom of the platforms.
Here new varieties of food plants were achieved, mainly potatoes, they grew products such as white corn in the lower areas and tubers such as potatoes in the higher areas. In addition, it is believed that it was a model for calculating agricultural production not only in the Urubamba Valley but also in different parts of Tahuantinsuyo.
Astronomy
John Earls claims to have discovered vertical stones on the terraces, the same ones that would mark the limits of the sunset shadows during the equinoxes and solstices, which would indicate use as a solar observatory.
4 Zones of Moray
Qechuyuo Muyu or Big Circle: For is the largest concentric platform made up of 14 platforms.
Simuyoc Muyu: This has 7 circular platforms.
Intiwatana Muyu: It also has 7 circular platforms.
Kuychi Muyu: This is the smallest because it only has two terraces.
How to arrive to Moray?
The Archaeological Center of Moray is located 7 kilometers from Maras, in the Sacred Valley of the Incas, 38 km northwest of the city of Cusco. It is possible to get to Moray through the road that starts from the town or directly from a detour from the main road that goes from Cusco to Urubamba.
Cusco is a legacy of great Inca architecture and engineering, which is reflected in each of the Inca buildings that you can appreciate on your trip to Cusco, you cannot miss it!
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