A riveting document of architectural, historical, and cultural marvels, The Living Stones of Sacsayhuaman takes viewers on a journey through the outskirts of Peru, where teams of Russian researchers strive to unravel the mysteries of the stone walls built by the Incas.
Even by today’s standards, this engineering marvel seems impossible. In the absence of any written communication, the Incas left no written reference to their customs. This has long complicated the task of tracking and fully understanding their astonishing architectural achievements. Their structures can be found in places ranging from Ecuador to Chile, including Machu Picchu and Ollantaytambo. However, the walls of Sacsayhuaman are perhaps the most impressive and baffling of all Incan structures. The sheer complexity of Sacsayhuaman’s sheer scale and exquisite geometric precision has led many to wonder whether it is the work of a god or a demon.
Believed to have been built in the mid-15th century, Sacsayhuaman features long rows of stones, each weighing three hundred tons. How were the blocks transported and forced to fit together with such precision?
It was just one mystery that a team of Russian geophysicists faced when they traveled to the site in the summer of 2012. The film follows these explorers and benefits from the extensive and detailed footage of their expeditions. They are collecting soil samples around the structure, as well as several rock formations, all of which are being studied further at research laboratories in their home country. These studies are expected to reveal the types of stones that make up the giant walls, how they are connected, and the materials used to support the process of their construction.
Sacsayhuaman’s living stones inspire and deliver, reminding us of the astonishing wisdom of ancient civilizations and how they managed with the utmost ingenuity and skill to transcend their minimal resources. Despite the myriad advances made in our modern world, many of its most spectacular achievements are forever beyond our comprehension.