You May Not See Why This Stone is So Special at First Glance, But Its History is Amazing

by N/A, 10 years ago | 2 min read

For nearly a century, the Incan Empire was the largest in pre-Columbian South America. Their reign was untouchable and their influence, all-encompassing. During it, what is now Cuzco, Peru served as its political epicenter.

The city, declared as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1983, is chock-full of ancient Incan structures that stand as strong today as they did the day they were built. But among all of their incredible feats of engineering, one stone in particular receives the most attention.

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Incan architecture is heralded as some of the most innovative and advanced for its time. What's known as "the 12-angled stone" is the quintessential display of their ingenuity.

The stone is renowned as one of the greatest ancient architectural feats in the world, and year-round, crowds of tourists come to see it in person.

If one day you choose to take a trip to see it, expect a wait - a very long one.

However, some are confused as to why a "simple stone" is given so much acclaim. For those people, context is needed.

If you consider its weight - roughly 1,000 pounds - and the fact that masonry at that time was done with a hammer and chisel, its unique and perfect shape become exponentially more impressive.

The fact that the structure has lived through 700 years of storms, cold, and earthquakes, yet looks as though it was just built, is an overwhelming testament to the Incas unparalleled craftsmanship.