Ethnohistory, 48:655–685 (Fall, 2001). The three trails are known as the Mollepata, Classic and One Day trails, with Mollepata being the longest of the three.
They worked by a relay system. The most important Inca road was the Camino Real (Royal Road), as it is known in Spanish, with a length of 5,200 kilometres (3,200 mi). The masonry is extremely well fitted, with no evidence of any mortar being used to keep the stones in place. They had large stone cities, beautiful temples, an advanced government, a detailed tax system, and an intricate road system. [3] The best known portion of the road system is the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu. "Much of the system was the result of the Incas claiming exclusive right over numerous traditional routes, some of which had been built centuries earlier.
Jenkins, David "A Network Analysis of Inka Roads, Administrative Centers and Storage Facilities." A lot of roads. "Among the many roads and trails constructed in pre-Columbian South America, the Inca road system, or Qhapaq Ñan was the most extensive and highly advanced for its time. [2]:637, The construction of these bridges was accomplished by the help of many workers. The two longer routes require an ascent to beyond 12,000 ft (3,660 m) above sea level, which can result in altitude sickness. This is one of the reasons the Inca empire was so powerful. They were estimated to run as much as 240 kilometers per day. "These roads provided easy, reliable and quick routes for the Empire's civilian and military communications, personnel movement, and logistical support. These were food items had an extremely long expiration date which made them ideal for long term storage for the military[13], To give an example of the degree to which Incas stored supplies, one facility at Huánuco Pampa totaled as much as 37,100 cubic meters and could support a population of between twelve and fifteen thousand people. A: Ecuador, Pichincha, B: Mendoza, Argentina, C: Santiago, Región Metropolitana, Chile. Llamas and alpacas are lightweight animals. These roads and all the Inca and pre-Inca infrastructure along them are protected by UNESCO World Heritage Sites since 1994. Today, only 25 percent of this network is still visible, the rest having been destroyed by the construction of modern infrastructure. The Inca road system (El Camino Inca) of Peru was the most extensive among the many roads and trails that were constructed in pre-Columbian South America.. They used the chasqui (runners) for relaying messages throughout the empire and llamas and alpacas for transporting goods. The Inca built a vast network of roads throughout this empire. [2]:632 All resources in the empire were the property of the ruling elite, the Inca. "Among the many roads and trails constructed in pre-Columbian South America, the Inca road system, or Qhapaq Ñan was the most extensive and highly advanced for its time.The network was based on two north-south roads. When transporting large amounts of goods across the empire it was more efficient for the Incas to use herds of llamas or alpacas and have two or three herdsmen.
El Camino de la Costa, the coastal trail, with a length of 4,000 kilometres (2,500 mi), ran parallel to the sea and was linked with the Camino Real by many smaller routes.
Many Inca roads went thousands of feet above sea level, such as mount Chañi, which had a road that started at the base and went to the summit, which was at a height of nearly six thousand feet. Inca Roads. This system was the basis for trade throughout the Inca empire. Qollcas were long term storage houses for foods in the event of conflicts or shortages in the Inca Empire. The Camino Real went across the mountain ranges of the Andes, with peak altitudes of more than 5,000 m. El Camino de la Costa, the coastal trail, with a length of 4,000 km (2,420 mi), ran parallel to the sea and was linked with the Camino Real by many smaller routes. A bridge across the Apurimac River, west of Cuzco, spanned a distance of 45 meters. The roadrunners were the mailmen of the Inca empire.
It began in Quito, Ecuador, passed through Cusco, and ended in what is now Tucumán, Argentina. [11], Roads, trails, and bridges were essential to the political cohesion of the Inca state and to the redistribution of goods within it. They were allowed to run on the roads. Ravines were sometimes crossed by hanging baskets, or oroya, which could span distances of over 50 metres.