Incana rope bridges are
simple suspension bridge
A simple suspension bridge (also rope bridge, swing bridge (in New Zealand), suspended bridge, hanging bridge and catenary bridge) is a primitive type of bridge in which the deck of the bridge lies on two parallel load-bearing cables that ar ...
s over canyons , gorges and rivers (''
pongos'') constructed by the
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, ( Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The adm ...
. The bridges were an integral part of the
Inca road system and exemplify
Inca innovation in engineering. Bridges of this type were useful since the Inca people did not use wheeled transport – traffic was limited to pedestrians and livestock – and they were frequently used by ''
chasqui'' runners delivering messages throughout the Inca Empire.
Construction and maintenance
The bridges were constructed using
ichu grass woven into large bundles which were very strong.
Part of the bridge's strength and reliability came from the fact that each cable was replaced every year by local villagers as part of their ''
mit'a'' public service or obligation. In some instances, these local peasants had the sole task of repairing these bridges so that the Inca highways or road systems could continue to function.
Repairing these bridges was dangerous, with those performing repairs often facing death.
In 1615, in
Quechua
Quechua may refer to:
*Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru
*Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language
**So ...
author
Huamán Poma's manuscript ''
The First New Chronicle,'' Poma illustrates the Guambo rope bridge in use. He describes the
masonry bridges as a positive result of the
Spanish colonization of Peru, as the new bridges prevented deaths from the dangerous repair work.
Famous examples
The greatest bridges of this kind were in the
Apurímac Canyon along the main road north from
Cusco; a famous example spans a 45-meter gap that is supposed to be the inspiration behind
Thornton Wilder
Thornton Niven Wilder (April 17, 1897 – December 7, 1975) was an American playwright and novelist. He won three Pulitzer Prizes — for the novel '' The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' and for the plays ''Our Town'' and '' The Skin of Our Teeth'' — ...
's 1928
Pulitzer Prize winning novel ''
The Bridge of San Luis Rey'' (1927).
Made of grass, the last remaining Inca rope bridge, reconstructed every June, is the
Q'iswa Chaka (
Quechua
Quechua may refer to:
*Quechua people, several indigenous ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru
*Quechuan languages, a Native South American language family spoken primarily in the Andes, derived from a common ancestral language
**So ...
for "rope bridge"), spanning the
Apurimac River near Huinchiri, in
Canas Province,
Quehue District, Peru. Even though there is a modern bridge nearby, the residents of the region keep the ancient tradition and skills alive by renewing the bridge annually in June. Several family groups have each prepared a number of grass-ropes to be formed into cables at the site; others prepare mats for decking, and the reconstruction is a communal effort. The builders have indicated that effort is performed to honor their ancestors and the
Pachamama (Earth Mother).
See also
*
Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge, a rope suspension bridge in Northern Ireland
*
Inca Bridge, rope bridge, secret entrance to Machu Picchu
*
Simple suspension bridge
A simple suspension bridge (also rope bridge, swing bridge (in New Zealand), suspended bridge, hanging bridge and catenary bridge) is a primitive type of bridge in which the deck of the bridge lies on two parallel load-bearing cables that ar ...
. see the image of the Inca rope bridge built with modern materials and structural refinements
*
Suspension bridge, modern suspended-deck type
References
Bibliography
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* Showed the bridge at Huinchiri and predicted the art of building it would be lost within another generation, which proved untrue.
* Describes the documentary film directed by Jorge Carmona.
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External links
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Inca Rope Bridge
*Inca
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Inca
Ropework
Footbridges
Suspension bridges