500 



/. Boinnan — A Buried Wall at Cuzco. 



side) of the wall. In later periods of low water, these deposits 

 might in turn be cut partly away. Such an argument calls for 

 no pronounced modifications of prevailing climatic conditions, 

 associates the wall with existing topography, and is the most 

 natural explanation following a first inspection of the field. 

 Further consideration of the conditions leads one to take a 

 quite different view from the one outlined. Difficulties arise 

 which appear to be solved only by more radical explanations. 



In the first place, if the wall were built as a lining to the 

 existing ravine, why was its eastern face, fig. 6, made of 

 dressed stone ? One does not find this condition prevalent 



Fig. 3. 



Fig. 3. Details of inner structure of the buried wall in enlargement 

 of A, fig, 2. 



among walls facing the andenes or artificial terraces about 

 Cuzco. I have seen it in a few walls, though under circum- 

 stances leading one to suppose that the prominent position of 

 the wall called for greater care, indeed almost needless care, in 

 its construction. About the only purpose a faced wall would 

 serve on a terrace scarp would be to strengthen the wall against 

 the strain imposed by the soft earth behind it. We must 

 grant, however, that the existence of a faced wall is not in 

 itself conclusive proof of unusual relations. 



On the other hand, we have in the stratified gravels that 

 abut sharply against the outer face of the wall a condition of 

 a totally different nature. The wall was carefully removed, 

 stone by stone, leaving the gravels undisturbed for a photo- 

 graph, fig. 6, in which the stratification is clearly apparent. 

 But stratification may also show on the upper side of a terrace 

 wall since the constant movement of irrigation water down the 



