Interpretation of traces of hypothetical quincha walls in Samaipata

Janusz Kogut, Jacek Kościuk, Anna Kubicka

doi:10.37190/arc200209

Abstract

El Fuerte de Samaipata, commonly known as Samaipata, is an archaeological site in Bolivia. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1998. The most characteristic feature of the site is a natural rock that served as a wak’a (sacred place) for several local, pre-Hispanic cultures, so its current condition is the result of at least 1200 years of development. Towards the end of the 20th century and beginning of the 21st century, Samaipata was comprehensively studied and documented by German scholars. Due to the threat of progressing erosion, a new documentation project was executed by a Polish team. The main objective of the project was to document the vanishing site using 3D laser scanning. Most of the research already published on Samaipata concentrates on the complex arrangement of niches and terraces, figural and geometrical petroglyphs, as well as canals and water reservoirs at the site. The long rows of small circular holes drilled into the rock attract less scholarly attention. They are commonly associated with the vertical posts used for traditional quincha walls. Since there are doubts about the ability of the quincha wall to resist the extremely strong winds on the top of the rock, the Authors conducted computer simulations to clarify these reservations. The 3D model was based on 3D laser scanning results, while FEM was used to solve structural analysis problems.

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2020

2(62)

DOI: 10.37190/arc200209

Introduction – the site and the scope of work

Despite the strong Incan characteristics of Samaipata,

the site served as a sacred place for many pre-Hispanic lo-

cal cultures, and its origins date back to around 300 AD. Its

present form is mainly the result of activities from the time

of Inca dominance over this area, which also coincides with

the last century of the Inca Empire before it collapsed dur-

ing the Spanish conquest in the 2

half of the 16

century.

For more than two centuries, the site has attracted

scholarly attention [1]–[4], mainly due to the unique scale

and density of decorations covering the natural rock.

These decorations include not only multiple terraces,

platforms, and water reservoirs, but also many gural and

geometrical petroglyphs, all of them arranged in a very

complicated layout (Fig. 1).

Between those various carvings covering nearly the

whole surface of the rock, several circular openings with

diameters ranging from 8 cm to approximately 60 cm

are extant. Apart from those that are of natural origin or

caused by rock erosion, these openings are usually inter-

preted as oering holes for ceremonial libations. They

typically neighbour gural petroglyphs either as singular

holes or are grouped in irregular patterns. Up until now,

much less attention was placed on another group of open-

ings that are arranged in a long line alongside the northern

slope of the rock (Fig. 2).

Janusz Kogut*, Jacek Kościuk**, Anna Kubicka***

Interpretation of traces of hypothetical quincha walls in Samaipata

Interpretacja śladów hipotetycznych ścian quincha w Samaipata

Two much shorter lines of such holes (Fig. 3) can also

be found on the southern hillside on the border between

sector W04 and W07, as well as on the border between

sector W11 and S12

. During our survey in 2016, we de-

tected yet another group of similar holes in sector S28

– barely visible traces of such holes are arranged there in

a rectangular shape, measuring roughly 2.5 × 4.5 m.

The diameter of all the holes on the northern slope of

the hill ranges from 12 to 20 cm, and they were drilled

more than 20 cm into the surface of the rock (Fig. 4).

There is a consensus among researchers that these holes

were used to x vertical wooden posts. The discussion,

however, concerns the dating and the function that these

posts served.

One local hypothesis assumes that the posts were used

to attach torches that illuminated rituals performed on the

rock. However, the most common interpretation is that

the posts were part of the construction of traditional quin-

cha walls. According to the authors of this article, three

fragments of a quincha wall located on the southern slope

are the relics of buildings that were once there. However,

three separate sections of post-holes located on the north-

ern slope we interpret as free-standing walls, not asso-

ciated with any building.

Two arguments are usually raised against this latter

interpretation. First of all, it is noted that at the base of

a quincha wall, there is usually a shallow ditch. In our

case, there is no such feature. The second argument consid-

ers the local weather conditions, namely the strong winds

Cf. J. Kościuk, G. Oreci, M. Ziółkowski, A. Kubicka, R. Muñóz

Ri solazo, Description and analysis of El Fuerte de Samaipata in the

light of new research, and a proposal of the relative chronology of its

main elements, in the same issue of “Architectus”.

* ORCID: 0000-0001-5728-1809. Faculty of Civil Engineering,

Cracow University of Technology, e-mail: jkogut@pk.edu.pl

ORCID: 0000-0003-0623-8071. Faculty of Architecture, Wroc -

ław University of Science and Technology.

***

ORCID: 0000-0001-5442-3947. Faculty of Architecture, Wroc -

ław University of Science and Technology.

68 Janusz Kogut, Jacek Kościuk, Anna Kubicka

Fig. 2. The northern slope of Samaipata rock.

The green arrows mark rows of round holes for quincha posts.

The hill-shaded 3D cloud from terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) is used as the background:

A – the western part;

B – the eastern part

(elaborated by J. Kościuk)

Fig. 1. El Fuerte de Samaipata, as seen from the west

(photo by J. Kościuk)

Interpretation of traces of hypothetical quincha walls in Samaipata / Interpretacja śladów hipotetycznych ścian quincha w Samaipata 69

at the top of the rock. Therefore, the main objective of this

study will be to prove that a quincha wall could withstand

the windy conditions of the northern slopes of Samaipata.

Albert Meyers, the director of the German Samaipata Ar-

chaeological Research Project (Proyecto Arqueológico en

Samaipata, PIAS) in the years 1992–1996, drew the authors’

attention to another possible interpretation. The holes drilled

in the rock may theoretically come from the colonial period

and be a part of the Spanish fortications strengthening the

top of the hill as the last defence point. Such dating cannot

be a priori excluded in the absence of any relevant evidence

that could oer absolute dating of the drilled holes.

An exchange of e-mails resulted in the following con-

clusions. The Spaniards who arranged the military post

there would have wanted to protect the margins of their

settlement located south of the rock. Fortifying the top of

the rock from the northern side, where the natural slope is

so steep that one can hardly imagine any attacks from this

side, makes no military sense. Therefore, providing shield-

ing from the wind or undesirable observation remains the

only plausible explanation for the function of the postulat-

ed quincha wall. Were Spaniards interested in this? During

discussions, we did not nd any arguments in favour of

such an interpretation, so in our opinion, the most likely

provenience is from Inca times.

Basic information on pre-colonial quincha walls

and interpretation of the function

of vertical wooden posts

The term quincha is borrowed from the Quechua verb

(Quinchani – cercar de septo) [5] denoting separating

by a septum. Unlike modern constructions also referred

to as quincha, the pre-Hispanic quincha walls were not

timber frame-based. The traditional form of this type of

construction is still popular not only in the Andean region,

but also in the whole of Central America (Fig. 5). Internet

re sources are full of webpages devoted to local initiatives

promoting the use of this simple and economical con-

struction technology [6].

In contrast, post-Hispanic and modern timber frame-

based quincha constructions are of interest to many sci-

entists, mainly due to their tolerance to seismic phenom-

ena [7], [8] and problems related to the maintenance and

conservation of architectural heritage [9]. Simple pre-His-

panic constructions of quincha walls are practically not

analysed in terms of strength, and their models are not

subjected to experimental strength tests. Due to this, it is

dicult to solve our main problem solely using current

literature on the subject.

In terms of construction methods, traditional pre-His-

panic quincha walls can be divided into four distinct

groups. The simplest structure, the single-interlaced type,

consists of vertical posts between which horizontal, thinner

branches or rods of local bamboo are

intertwined (Fig. 6A).

Such a construction can be additionally strengthened with

successive vertical rods interlaced between horizontal

crossbars – the cross-interlaced quincha wall (Fig. 6B). In

both cases, clay mixed with cha tightly covers the wood-

en construction. Variants are also possible when, instead of

interlacing, individual elements are bonded together using

Fig. 4. 3D model of one of the holes on the northern slope of the hill

(3D scanning with the structured light scanner and 3D modeling:

M. Pakowska)

Fig. 3. The southern slope of Samaipata rock. The green arrows mark rows

of round holes for quincha posts. The hill-shaded 3D cloud from TLS is used as the background

(elaborated by J. Kościuk)

70 Janusz Kogut, Jacek Kościuk, Anna Kubicka

plant bres. The next two types dier slightly in their con-

struction. Horizontal elements connecting vertical posts

are still present, but the clay ll ing the wooden construc-

tion is much more compacted. Depending on whether the

horizontal crossbars are attached on one or both sides of

the post, the two further types of wall are distinguished

as one-sided (Fig. 6C) or double-sided (Fig. 6D). In the

last type, we often notice an inll of small stones or more

frequently of adobe.

One of the essential advantages of such constructions

is the use of local, easily accessible materials: clay with

the addition of organic cha, small tree branches, bam-

boo sticks, and trunks of trees of appropriate diameter for

vertical posts. Detailed identication of plant species that

may have been used in the 14

and 15

centuries by Inca

builders is dicult. For natural reasons, such organic ma-

terials are rarely preserved in a state that allows for the

identication of originally used species on archaeological

sites. An additional complication is the 15 climate zones

specic to Peru and Bolivia [10], each with typical veg-

etation. Thus, it is dicult to determine which particular

plant species were used by builders on the eastern slopes

of the Bolivian Andes. Contemporary tutorials that pro-

mote the reintroduction of traditional quincha construc-

tion recommend the use of hardwood species for vertical

posts – preferably madera tornillo (Cedrelinga catenae-

formis) [11], and for horizontal elements and wattle work,

local bamboo, caña brava (Gynerium sagittatum) or caña

guayaquil (Guadua angustifolia) [11], [12].

Discussion of hypothesis

The only common point of discussions about the pur-

pose of the round holes drilled in the northern slope of

Samaipata is that they were for xing vertical, wooden

posts. According to the authors of this paper, the hypoth-

esis of using them as support for torches is too fanciful.

Additionally, in many places, the holes are located not on

the edge of the hill, but on its steep slope, making some

posts practically inaccessible (Fig. 7).

Therefore, the only plausible alternative interpretation

seems to be that of quincha walls. Their function could

have been to shield people from the wind, to cover the

ceremonial zones to avoid undesirable observation from

outside, or, as we will later try to prove, to enlarge the

ceremonial platforms behind the walls.

It is worth noting that the line of post-holes on the

northern slope of Samaipata rock is interrupted in two

places. These coincide with specially shaped channels en-

abling rainwater to ow down the slope (Fig. 8). This ob-

servation alone indicates that once, along the line of holes,

there was an articial barrier that allowed for rainwater

runo. This is one of the crucial arguments supporting the

hypothesis postulated by the authors about the existence

of a quincha wall in this place. Based on the preserved

traces, this interpretation seems to be most likely.

As already mentioned, in some places, the line of post-

holes does not run directly on the edge of the articially

carved platforms, but it traverses the slope obliquely to

the contour lines (Figs. 7, 9A). A hypothetical wall placed

along such a line would not protect the platform behind it

from the wind or unwished-for observation from outside.

It seems likely that, between the line of wooden posts and

the steep slope behind it, there was originally a backll

that enlarged the platform above (Fig. 9B). Today, similar

constructions still occur in Bolivia – even in the immedi-

ate vicinity, at the ticket oces at the entrance to Samai-

pata (Fig. 10).

What would a backll enlarging the terrace behind the

quincha wall look like? Except for the round holes for

the posts, there are no traces that could provide guidance.

However, the question can be formulated otherwise – how

would this kind of platform be properly built and do we

know of any examples from the pre-Hispanic era?

Looking at the issue from an engineering point of view,

we have two fundamental problems to solve here: how to

Fig. 5. Contemporary examples of traditional quincha walls (sources:

A – https://urbanscrawldc.files.wordpress.com/2014/07/dsc09652.jpg;

B – https://www.revistatierracultah.cl/?p=12501;

C – https://killpackpanamania.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/p4080190.jpg;

D – https://killpackpanamania.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/p4080227.jpg

[accessed: 17.12.2017])

Fig. 6. Main types of pre-Hispanic quincha walls:

A – single-interlaced; B – cross-interlaced;

C – one-sided; D – double-sided (elaborated by A. Kubicka)

Interpretation of traces of hypothetical quincha walls in Samaipata / Interpretacja śladów hipotetycznych ścian quincha w Samaipata 71

prevent the backll from sliding down the slope, and the

problem of backll drainage.

We have ample evidence that Inca builders coped with

such problems perfectly. The most known are probably

the constructions of the terraces on the slopes of Machu

Picchu, where both problems had to be solved simultane-

ously. Admittedly, stone-retaining walls were used there,

not quincha walls as in the case of Samaipata, but the es-

sence of the solution ensuring adequate drainage and sta-

bility of the hopper remains analogous – the bottom layer

consisted of […] larger stones overlain with a layer of

gravel and above that a layer of somewhat sandy material

[13, p. 39, Fig. 5–6]. The use of the lowest layer of bro-

ken stone with sharp edges, especially if the terrace was

founded directly on a steep slope of solid rock, had anoth-

er advantage – it increased the friction between the layers

of the backll and the face of the rock. Such a solution

was observed in the case of the retaining terrace (Fig. 11)

of the Inca astronomical observatory El Mirador de Inka-

raqay [14].

In the case of Samaipata, the application of this engi-

neering knowledge could have resulted in a similar solu-

tion (Fig. 12). It takes into account both the methods of

construction of traditional quincha walls that we know

of, and the principles used by Inca engineers in the con-

struction of terraces. This hypothetical reconstruction

introduces one more element – plant-bre mats laid be-

tween layers of the backll (Fig. 12, item 2). Their func-

tion is analogous to the geotextiles used today. The use of

plant-bre mats is already known from the architecture of

the pre-Inca Wari culture [15]. We can, therefore, assume

that it was also known to the Inca builders.

Fig. 7. The line of post-holes on the northern slope of Samaipata rock (photo by J. Kościuk)

Fig. 8. Hypothetical reconstruction of three sections of the quincha wall on the northern slope of Samaipata rock.

An orthoimage is used as the background (elaborated by J. Kościuk)

72 Janusz Kogut, Jacek Kościuk, Anna Kubicka

Nevertheless, the problem of the lack of shallow ditch

at the base of the wall remains unsolved. However, from

a structural point of view, such a ditch, usually lled with

stones, is mandatory for quincha walls placed directly upon

uncompacted soils. It acts as a foundation, securing the

proper anchoring of piles and evenness of wall settlement,

and ensures adequate tightness at the foot of the wall. In the

case of quincha walls erected directly on solid rock, such

a foundation, and therefore the ditch, is not necessary from

a structural point of view. This may explain the lack of it in

our case. The proposed reconstruction is one of the many

ways in which, at the-then level of building skills, this prob-

lem could have been solved. In summary, it can be said with

a high degree of certainty that the round holes in the rock

(and the posts that were likely once embedded in them)

indicate the existence of a quincha wall in this location.

Nevertheless, the question of the resistance against

wind pressure remains unanswered. An armative an-

swer may render our hypothesis even more credible.

There are no accurate meteorological data for El Fuerte

de Samaipata itself, but the data obtained for the town of

Samaipata indicate the same tendency we observed on

the top of the hill. The predominant winds are those from

a NNW direction; thus, nearly perpendicular to the line of

circular, drilled holes alongside the northern slope of the

rock. The main problem, however, is wind speed. While in

the town located in the valley 300 m below, the wind usu-

ally does not exceed 40 km/h (Fig. 13), it is much strong-

er on the top of Samaipata rock. When working on the

top of the hill, we experienced considerable diculties in

Fig. 10. A contemporary example of a terrace enlargement

with a wooden wall and backfill

(photo by J. Kościuk)

Fig. 11. El Mirador del Inkaraqay (Machu Picchu).

Archaeological sounding showing the construction of the terrace

on a steep slope of the rock. Visible blocks of split stone prevent

the platform from slipping off the slope of the rock

(photogrammetry: J. Kościuk)

Fig. 9. 3D model of a fragment of the northern slope of Samaipata rock:

A – reconstruction of wooden post line; B – hypothetical reconstruction of the backfill behind the post line (elaborated by J. Kościuk)

Interpretation of traces of hypothetical quincha walls in Samaipata / Interpretacja śladów hipotetycznych ścian quincha w Samaipata 73

Fig. 12. Hypothetical reconstruction of the principle of enlarging

the terrace behind the quincha wall: 1 – split stones;

2 – plant-fibre mats; 3 – crushed stone; 4 – compacted earth;

5 – compacted clay; 6 – rainwater drainage channel;

7 – compacted clay with chaff; 8 – drainage at the foot of the wall

(elaborated by J. Kościuk)

Fig. 13. The wind rose for Samaipata town

(source: https://www.meteoblue.com/en/weather /forecast/

modelclimate/samaipata_bolivia_11494517

[accessed: 27.11.2017])

Name

Young

modulus E

[MPa]

Poisson ratio

[–]

Density

[kN/m

]

Internal friction angle

[deg]

Cohesion

[kPa]

Sandstone 10000.0 0.3 21.7 40 5000

Clay wall 20.0 0.3 20.0 20 20

Timber 7000.0 0.3 6.0 – –

Infill (clGr) 20.0 0.3 20.0 30 20

Table 1. Mechanical parameters of materials used in the numerical simulation (elaborated by J. Kogut)

maintaining balance during the strongest winds. In a few

cases, gusts of wind almost knocked down the heavy tri-

pod holding our scanner (ca. 24 kg of total weight). Based

on these experiences, wind speed can be estimated to be

up to 90 km/h [16]. This is essential input data for subse-

quent numerical analyses that may ultimately verify our

hypothesis

Numerical modeling of the quincha wall

– input data, material characteristics,

and the simulation model

The geometry of the rock was based on data from 3D

laser scanning [17], [18] obtained during the 2016 eld-

work season with a Leica P40 scanner. In 2017, the holes

in the rock were additionally documented with a handheld

Artec Eva scanner, which gave precise data to model how

the wooden posts could t into the rock (Fig. 4). Made-

ra tornillo (Cedrelinga catenaeformis) was chosen as the

material for the vertical posts.

Since there are not any indications pointing to a par-

ticular type of quincha construction, the double-sided wall

(Fig. 6D) was chosen with an inll of clay tempered with

organic cha. Despite this choice, we can only speculate

how the horizontal elements and wattle work were ar-

ranged. Therefore, at this stage of research, it was decided

to model these elements as regular truss elements in order

to model horizontal bracing. The backll that may have en-

larged the platform behind the quincha wall was modeled

with argillaceous gravel (clGr). The intervals between the

posts were adopted in accordance with the results of 3D

laser scanning as 45÷87 cm. Based on the same data, the

diameters of the posts were 12 cm. The tops of the piles

were 1.80 m above the ground on the leeward side

– hence,

due to dierences in slope the posts dier in length.

The mechanical parameters used in our simulation

( Table 1) were based on available literature [7], [19]–[21]

and the authors’ experience. The discrete model was built

in the nite element package Midas [22] and consisted of

50 638 nodes and 228 797 spatial and truss elements re-

sulting in 146 789 equations (Fig. 14). The rock part of

the model was xed at the bottom. The wind impact on the

quincha wall was simulated as a uniform wind load from

the NNW direction with a speed of 25 m/sec.

74 Janusz Kogut, Jacek Kościuk, Anna Kubicka

Discussion of results

The maximum value of the total displacements (Fig. 15)

of the analysed wall scarcely exceeded 3 mm in the worst-

case scenario. The displacements are presented as de-

formed models, separately for the wall, wooden posts, and

Fig. 15. Analyses of total displacements (FEM simulation: J. Kogut)

Fig. 16. Analyses of total strains (FEM simulation: J. Kogut)

Fig. 14. 3D numerical model for FEM analysis (modelled by J. Kogut)

the rock. The rock deformation did not exceed 0.09 mm.

The simulated quincha wall construction proved to be so

exible that it could feasibly survive harsh winds. The

maximum values of the total strains (Fig. 16) can be seen

at the bottom of the quincha wall. The dierences in the

behaviour of the wall are due to the fact that the wall is

Interpretation of traces of hypothetical quincha walls in Samaipata / Interpretacja śladów hipotetycznych ścian quincha w Samaipata 75

a continuous structure, a part of which has backll that

enlarges the platform behind it. As expected, analyses of

vertical ε

strains in the wooden posts (Fig. 17) showed

that wooden bre on the windward side experienced ten-

sion, while bre on the leeward side was compressed. In

the overall conditions, they were balanced.

It is evident (Figs. 18, 19) that the entire wall, as well

as the rock, was subjected to small stresses, even in such

harsh conditions. As for the rock itself, the maximum

stress value can be seen in the post-holes, but it does

not exceed the strength of the sandstone. The value of

0.5 MPa is well below the threshold value that may de-

stroy the material around the holes.

A closer look at the internal behaviour of the quincha

wall shows that the maximum shear stress is carried by

the posts, and it is a stress level of 0.2 MPa in tension

and 1.5 MPa when compressed. This is even more visi-

ble when the σ

stresses are analysed (Fig. 18). It should

be noted that the compression strength of the wood was

assumed to be equal to R = 21 MPa. Additionally, the hori-

zontal elements of the wall reinforcement did not exceed

a stress level of 0.3 MPa, and torque and bending mo-

ments were negligibly small.

General conclusions

The results obtained on the basis of the FEM simu-

lations allow us to state that the hypothetical quincha

walls should have been able to withstand the assumed

wind loads. The load capacity is so signicant that, even

after any changes in the strength parameters, taking into

account the humidity status of wood and clay, the wall

would still have been stable. It should also be noted that,

Fig. 17. Analyses of ε

strains (FEM simulation: J. Kogut)

Fig. 18. Analyses of total σ

stresses (FEM simulation: J. Kogut)

Fig. 19. Analyses of total Tresca stresses

(FEM simulation: J. Kogut)

in the simulation, a more advanced model was used in

which horizontal elements reinforcing the wall were in-

cluded. It can even be assumed that a lighter type of wall

(for example, one-sided, Fig. 6C), would have also met

the conditions.

The above text is an extended and rewritten version of

our paper presented at the Structural Analysis of Histori-

cal Constructions 2018 Conference in Cusco [23].

76 Janusz Kogut, Jacek Kościuk, Anna Kubicka

Acknowledgements /Podziękowania

The presented work is part of the research sponsored by the grant giv-

en to the Wrocław University of Science and Technology by the Polish

National Science Centre (grant No. 2014/15/B/HS2/01108). Additio-

nally, the municipality of Samaipata, represented by Mayor Falvio Ló 

pes Escalera, contributed to this research by providing the accommo-

dation during the eldwork in June and July 2016, as well as in July

2017. The Ministry of Culture and Tourism of Bolivia kindly granted

all necessary permits (UDAM No. 014/2016; UDAM No. 060/2017).

The research was conducted in close cooperation with the Centre for

PreColumbian Studies of the University of Warsaw in Cusco. Spe-

cialists from many other universities and research centres also joined

the project.

Abstract

El Fuerte de Samaipata, commonly known as Samaipata, is an archaeological site in Bolivia. It was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List

in 1998. The most characteristic feature of the site is a natural rock that served as a wak’a (sacred place) for several local, pre-Hispanic cultures, so

its current condition is the result of at least 1200 years of development.

Towards the end of the 20

century and beginning of the 21

century, Samaipata was comprehensively studied and documented by German scholars.

Due to the threat of progressing erosion, a new documentation project was executed by a Polish team. The main objective of the project was to doc-

ument the vanishing site using 3D laser scanning.

Most of the research already published on Samaipata concentrates on the complex arrangement of niches and terraces, gural and geometrical petro-

glyphs, as well as canals and water reservoirs at the site. The long rows of small circular holes drilled into the rock attract less scholarly attention.

They are commonly associated with the vertical posts used for traditional quincha walls. Since there are doubts about the ability of the quincha wall

to resist the extremely strong winds on the top of the rock, the Authors conducted computer simulations to clarify these reservations. The 3D model

was based on 3D laser scanning results, while FEM was used to solve structural analysis problems.

Key words: Fuerte de Samaipata, Bolivia, rock art, quincha walls, numerical modeling

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Interpretation of traces of hypothetical quincha walls in Samaipata / Interpretacja śladów hipotetycznych ścian quincha w Samaipata 77

Streszczenie

El Fuerte de Samaipata jest stanowiskiem archeologicznym w Boliwii wpisanym na Listę Światowego Dziedzictwa UNESCO w 1998 r. Najbardziej

charakterystyczną cechą tego miejsca jest naturalna skała, która służyła jako wak’a (święte miejsce) dla kilku lokalnych kultur prehiszpańskich, więc

jej obecna forma jest wynikiem co najmniej 1200 lat rozwoju.

Pod koniec XX w. i na początku XXI Samaipata była wszechstronnie badana i dokumentowana przez niemieckich uczonych. Ze względu na postępu-

jącą erozję polski zespół wykonał nowe pomiary, których głównym celem była precyzyjna rejestracja zagrożonych reliktów za pomocą laserowego

skanowania 3D.

Większość dotychczas opublikowanych wyników badań na temat Samaipata koncentruje się na złożonym zespole nisz i tarasów, guralnych i geome-

trycznych petroglifów, a także kanałów i zbiorników wodnych rzeźbionych w skale. Długie rzędy małych okrągłych wywierconych otworów przycią-

gają mniej uwagi naukowców. Są one powszechnie kojarzone z pionowymi słupkami stosowanymi do tradycyjnych ścianek quincha. Wątpliwości co

do wytrzymałości ścianki quincha na ekstremalnie silne wiatry na szczycie skały skłoniły autorów tego artykułu do przeprowadzenia komputerowych

symulacji w celu wyjaśnienia tych zastrzeżeń. Model 3D został oparty na wynikach skanowania laserowego 3D, a samą analizę przeprowadzono

z wykorzystaniem metody elementów skończonych (MES).

Słowa kluczowe: Fuerte de Samaipata, Boliwia, sztuka naskalna, ścianki quincha, modelowanie numeryczne