Exploring and explaining ancient Incan secrets

Halfway between Machu Picchu and the city of Cuzco, Peru, lies a civil engineering wonder that has captivated and puzzled researchers and travelers since it was first photographed in 1931. In 'Moray: Inca Engineering Mystery' (American Society of Civil Engineers Press, 2011), anthropology professor Gordon McEwan and his co-authors take readers on a tour of the mysterious site, with its terraced circular depressions reaching almost 100 feet into the earth. In collaboration with water engineer Ken Wright, travel writer Ruth Wright, and Peruvian archaeologist Alfredo Valencia Zegarra, McEwan resolves decades of speculation about the construction and purpose of Moray. McEwan has led archaeological research projects at Pikillacta and Chokepukio, Peru, for more than 30 years, and is the author of many books on Inca and Wari culture. This spring, the Wright Family Foundation endowed an annual award in McEwan's name for Wagner undergraduates to undertake fieldwork in archaeology.