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Picture of
Photograph of a doorway with hinges carved into the stone at the ruins of Machu
Picchu. These two "door hinges" are actually thought by some
archaeologists to be "tying posts" where the end of a rope would be tied to each
of them and then hang across the doorway. Therefore instead of actual
closing with a physical door, the Incas would "close" the door by hanging a rope
across the doorways by tying the rope to these hinges which are carved into the
stone. In addition to carved door hinges such as these, in Machu
Picchu you can find several other different types of doorway structures. Some
have double doorjambs, while other doors have structures that seem to serve as
simple hinges. Equally impressive to the finely carved stonework is the
reality that Machu Picchu is located near an active fault line in a seismically
active region and the survival of these structures after 650 years subsequent to
their construction is a testament to their engineering genius. Aside from being
skilled engineers, the Incas were also appreciative of aesthetics and some of
these doorways artistically frame spectacular views of the nearby mountains.
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