Inca Architecture and Construction at Ollantaytambo [Hardcover]

Jean-Pierre Protzen (Author), Robert Batson (Illustrator)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195070690 | ISBN-13: 978-0195070699 | Publication Date: July 8, 1993 | Edition: First Edition

It is a modern-day mystery how the Inca, who did not have iron tools or knowledge of the wheel, mined and transported stones and dressed and fitted them in remarkable structures. Jean-Pierre Protzen has spent much of the past decade investigating the quarrying and stonecutting techniques of the Inca, and problems of Inca construction practices. His work is based principally on observation, careful measurements of structures, and experiments using stones and tools the Inca stonemasons would have used. Ollantaytambo, probably the best-preserved Inca town, offers an ideal laboratory with its well-thought-out site plans, its intimate integration of the built form with the natural environment, the unity of its architecture, and the sheer perfection of its cut-stone masonry. Offering the only extensive analysis of Inca construction practices, Protzen describes and interprets the archaeological complex of Ollantaytambo, discovers temporal and functional links among its components, uncovers the planning and design criteria that governed its layout and architecture, and compiles all that has been written about the site.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"His study is nonetheless fascinating, useful, readable and far from being a boring and stodgy archaelogical report."--British Bulletin of Publications

"Everyone interested in the organization of Inca architecture and its execution will be delighted that here is a book that describes evidence on that subject from quarry to site and uses replicative experiments to gain an understanding of the technology employed."--Antiquity

"Clearly written and abundantly illustrated book is itself a beautifully crafted monument to the vision and planning of Inca architects and to the classic perfection of Inca stonework and construction. It will prove valuable, as an example and an inspiration, to anyone who works with the siting and the total technology of ancient monumental architects."--Journal of Field Archeology

"Fascinating, useful, readable and far from being a boring and stodgy archaelogical report."--British Bulletin of Publications

"Clearly written and abundantly illustrated book is itself a beautifully crafted monument to the vision and planning of Inca architects and to the classic perfection of Inca stonework and construction. It will prove valuable, as an example and an inspiration, to anyone who works with the siting and the total technology of ancient monumental architects."--Journal of Field Archaeology

"Clearly written and profusely illustrated...Inca Architecture and Construction at Ollantaytambo is sure to engage Andeanists, architectural historians and a lay public interested in prehistory....Protzen's work is a significant contribution, especially because of its attention to architectural detail....A finely crafted work that will stand as an important resource for years to come."--American Scientist

"This volume on Ollantaytambo...makes a significant contribution to the field."--Latin American Antiquity

"...superb..."--Latin American Research Reveiw

"Jean-Pierre Protzen is an architect...and a subtle scholar who observes minute clues carefully and just as carefully verifies the hypotheses he developed from them in down-to-earth experiments. He does this all while keeping the romance of the Inca alive in us as we read."--Technology and Culture

"A major advancement in the study of Inca architecture, this monograph will undoubtedly stand for years to come...a finely detailed, close analysis of a specific site, focusing on the empirical data gleaned from very careful observation and study."--JSAH

About the Author

Jean-Pierre Protzen, Architect and Professor of Architecture, University of California, Berkeley.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 320 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA; First Edition edition (July 8, 1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195070690
• ISBN-13: 978-0195070699
• Product Dimensions: 11.1 x 8.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,173,319 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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