Earth As We Know It
@earthasweknowit.bsky.social
History, Archeology, Megafauna, Evolution, Wildlife. Currently working on a photojournalism project on the ecology & cultures of South America.
https://www.earthasweknowit.com
https://www.earthasweknowit.com
Restoration work of a chullpa (funerary tower) at Sillustani, Peru.
Via Museo Municipal Carlos Dreyer
Btw, look at how they’re using those pry bars! Perhaps not too different to how the Inca era workers once used theirs.
Via Museo Municipal Carlos Dreyer
Btw, look at how they’re using those pry bars! Perhaps not too different to how the Inca era workers once used theirs.
August 16, 2025 at 3:47 AM
Restoration work of a chullpa (funerary tower) at Sillustani, Peru.
Via Museo Municipal Carlos Dreyer
Btw, look at how they’re using those pry bars! Perhaps not too different to how the Inca era workers once used theirs.
Via Museo Municipal Carlos Dreyer
Btw, look at how they’re using those pry bars! Perhaps not too different to how the Inca era workers once used theirs.
This is a post-colonial, transitional-period building in Cusco called Casa de las Sierpes (House of the Snakes), constructed in the 1580s, when indigenous stone masons were helping in the construction of Spanish buildings. Note the precise fitting stonework.
#archeology #peru #inca #masonry
#archeology #peru #inca #masonry
July 31, 2025 at 7:47 PM
This is a post-colonial, transitional-period building in Cusco called Casa de las Sierpes (House of the Snakes), constructed in the 1580s, when indigenous stone masons were helping in the construction of Spanish buildings. Note the precise fitting stonework.
#archeology #peru #inca #masonry
#archeology #peru #inca #masonry
The Waru Waru of the Geoglifos de Acora: an ingenious example of native permaculture.
I found these on google maps while planning this trip to Peru. My local guide and driver weren’t yet aware of 3 of the 4 we visited.
… 🧵
#archeology #archaeology #history #peru #permaculture
I found these on google maps while planning this trip to Peru. My local guide and driver weren’t yet aware of 3 of the 4 we visited.
… 🧵
#archeology #archaeology #history #peru #permaculture
July 1, 2025 at 10:12 PM
The Waru Waru of the Geoglifos de Acora: an ingenious example of native permaculture.
I found these on google maps while planning this trip to Peru. My local guide and driver weren’t yet aware of 3 of the 4 we visited.
… 🧵
#archeology #archaeology #history #peru #permaculture
I found these on google maps while planning this trip to Peru. My local guide and driver weren’t yet aware of 3 of the 4 we visited.
… 🧵
#archeology #archaeology #history #peru #permaculture
Cusco’s Inti Raymi festival is the continuation of the Inca’s tradition of celebrating the winter solstice and the Andean new year.
More pics below👇
#history #inca #peru #archeology #festivals #southamerica
More pics below👇
#history #inca #peru #archeology #festivals #southamerica
June 28, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Cusco’s Inti Raymi festival is the continuation of the Inca’s tradition of celebrating the winter solstice and the Andean new year.
More pics below👇
#history #inca #peru #archeology #festivals #southamerica
More pics below👇
#history #inca #peru #archeology #festivals #southamerica
This may be why the Inca constructed trapezoidal doors, windows & niches.
Stone can support a lot of weight, but doesn’t have as much tensile strength, so is prone to cracking when flexed.
By shortening the top dimension, these lintel stones would be less likely to crack.
#archeology #history
Stone can support a lot of weight, but doesn’t have as much tensile strength, so is prone to cracking when flexed.
By shortening the top dimension, these lintel stones would be less likely to crack.
#archeology #history
June 25, 2025 at 2:03 PM
This may be why the Inca constructed trapezoidal doors, windows & niches.
Stone can support a lot of weight, but doesn’t have as much tensile strength, so is prone to cracking when flexed.
By shortening the top dimension, these lintel stones would be less likely to crack.
#archeology #history
Stone can support a lot of weight, but doesn’t have as much tensile strength, so is prone to cracking when flexed.
By shortening the top dimension, these lintel stones would be less likely to crack.
#archeology #history
I don’t think most people realize how much of Machu Picchu has been rebuilt.
A lot of this reconstruction happened in the 1950s for some movie that was being filmed there.
#archeology #archaeology #machupicchu #peru #inca #history #megalithic
A lot of this reconstruction happened in the 1950s for some movie that was being filmed there.
#archeology #archaeology #machupicchu #peru #inca #history #megalithic
June 19, 2025 at 4:20 PM
I don’t think most people realize how much of Machu Picchu has been rebuilt.
A lot of this reconstruction happened in the 1950s for some movie that was being filmed there.
#archeology #archaeology #machupicchu #peru #inca #history #megalithic
A lot of this reconstruction happened in the 1950s for some movie that was being filmed there.
#archeology #archaeology #machupicchu #peru #inca #history #megalithic
Another Inca masonry mystery solved!
Many people have shared photos of this stone at Ollantaytambo as supposed evidence that they had some kind of powered saw, perhaps from a much more “ancient lost advanced civilization”.
But the truth is much simpler… 🧵
#archeology #archaeology #inca #peru
Many people have shared photos of this stone at Ollantaytambo as supposed evidence that they had some kind of powered saw, perhaps from a much more “ancient lost advanced civilization”.
But the truth is much simpler… 🧵
#archeology #archaeology #inca #peru
June 3, 2025 at 1:13 AM
Another Inca masonry mystery solved!
Many people have shared photos of this stone at Ollantaytambo as supposed evidence that they had some kind of powered saw, perhaps from a much more “ancient lost advanced civilization”.
But the truth is much simpler… 🧵
#archeology #archaeology #inca #peru
Many people have shared photos of this stone at Ollantaytambo as supposed evidence that they had some kind of powered saw, perhaps from a much more “ancient lost advanced civilization”.
But the truth is much simpler… 🧵
#archeology #archaeology #inca #peru
At the base of the Ollantaytambo ramp there are also some “Piedras Cansadas” (tired stones), one of which has more evidence of them using rows of wedges to split the stone apart.
#archeology #archaeology #peru #inca #history
#archeology #archaeology #peru #inca #history
May 31, 2025 at 11:54 PM
At the base of the Ollantaytambo ramp there are also some “Piedras Cansadas” (tired stones), one of which has more evidence of them using rows of wedges to split the stone apart.
#archeology #archaeology #peru #inca #history
#archeology #archaeology #peru #inca #history
I got some drone footage today of the giant ramp leading up to Ollantaytambo’s Temple of the Sun.
There are also some ruins above the start of the ramp and along it, which may have been guard stations, to protect this rear entrance into the site.
#archeology #archaeology #peru #inca #history
There are also some ruins above the start of the ramp and along it, which may have been guard stations, to protect this rear entrance into the site.
#archeology #archaeology #peru #inca #history
May 31, 2025 at 11:51 PM
I got some drone footage today of the giant ramp leading up to Ollantaytambo’s Temple of the Sun.
There are also some ruins above the start of the ramp and along it, which may have been guard stations, to protect this rear entrance into the site.
#archeology #archaeology #peru #inca #history
There are also some ruins above the start of the ramp and along it, which may have been guard stations, to protect this rear entrance into the site.
#archeology #archaeology #peru #inca #history
The split rock at Machu Picchu. 🪨
The Inca masons would chisel out these holes, hammer in wooden wedges, and fill them with water, causing them to expand, splitting the stone.
The ancient Romans & Egyptians did the same.
No advanced lost technology required.
#archeology #archaeology #inca #peru
The Inca masons would chisel out these holes, hammer in wooden wedges, and fill them with water, causing them to expand, splitting the stone.
The ancient Romans & Egyptians did the same.
No advanced lost technology required.
#archeology #archaeology #inca #peru
May 29, 2025 at 11:13 PM
The split rock at Machu Picchu. 🪨
The Inca masons would chisel out these holes, hammer in wooden wedges, and fill them with water, causing them to expand, splitting the stone.
The ancient Romans & Egyptians did the same.
No advanced lost technology required.
#archeology #archaeology #inca #peru
The Inca masons would chisel out these holes, hammer in wooden wedges, and fill them with water, causing them to expand, splitting the stone.
The ancient Romans & Egyptians did the same.
No advanced lost technology required.
#archeology #archaeology #inca #peru
North Coast Peru pre-colonial stone necklaces (chrysocolla, lapis lazuli, spondylus shells, jasper, gold, brass).
Museo Larco, Lima
Museo Larco, Lima
May 26, 2025 at 3:29 PM
North Coast Peru pre-colonial stone necklaces (chrysocolla, lapis lazuli, spondylus shells, jasper, gold, brass).
Museo Larco, Lima
Museo Larco, Lima
Chimú culture featherwork (900-1470 CE)
Museo Armano, Lima, Peru
#archeology #archaeology #peru #history
Museo Armano, Lima, Peru
#archeology #archaeology #peru #history
May 25, 2025 at 4:58 PM
Chimú culture featherwork (900-1470 CE)
Museo Armano, Lima, Peru
#archeology #archaeology #peru #history
Museo Armano, Lima, Peru
#archeology #archaeology #peru #history
Heading back to Peru today, visiting some lesser known Inca sites, & some other Wari & Nazca ruins, then into Bolivia, to see Tiwanaku, the altiplano salt flats, some colonial cities, & to a national park called Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco, which is savanna/wetland area (like the Bolivian Pantanal).
May 23, 2025 at 9:25 PM
Heading back to Peru today, visiting some lesser known Inca sites, & some other Wari & Nazca ruins, then into Bolivia, to see Tiwanaku, the altiplano salt flats, some colonial cities, & to a national park called Kaa-Iya del Gran Chaco, which is savanna/wetland area (like the Bolivian Pantanal).
“The real problem of humanity is the following: We have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions and godlike technology.”
- Edward O. Wilson
- Edward O. Wilson
May 15, 2025 at 3:52 PM
“The real problem of humanity is the following: We have Paleolithic emotions, medieval institutions and godlike technology.”
- Edward O. Wilson
- Edward O. Wilson
Wari (Peru 500-1000CE) silver mask, with similar fangs & mucus draining from the nose as this Chavín carving, signifying hallucinogenic snuff usage (possibly yopo/rapé or vilka).
One of the many ways in which Middle Horizon artwork inherited from Chavín Early Horizon iconography.
One of the many ways in which Middle Horizon artwork inherited from Chavín Early Horizon iconography.
May 7, 2025 at 7:52 PM
Wari (Peru 500-1000CE) silver mask, with similar fangs & mucus draining from the nose as this Chavín carving, signifying hallucinogenic snuff usage (possibly yopo/rapé or vilka).
One of the many ways in which Middle Horizon artwork inherited from Chavín Early Horizon iconography.
One of the many ways in which Middle Horizon artwork inherited from Chavín Early Horizon iconography.
A map of all the Inca style walls within Cusco.
Via Exploring Cusco by Peter Frost (great little guide book)
#archeology #archaeology #peru #inca
Via Exploring Cusco by Peter Frost (great little guide book)
#archeology #archaeology #peru #inca
April 16, 2025 at 3:19 AM
A map of all the Inca style walls within Cusco.
Via Exploring Cusco by Peter Frost (great little guide book)
#archeology #archaeology #peru #inca
Via Exploring Cusco by Peter Frost (great little guide book)
#archeology #archaeology #peru #inca
In 1994, an excavation under a megalith at Ollantaytambo revealed how the Inca constructed roads to move these massive stones, using clay soil & gravel.
Note how the top layer is pushed up on the front side from sliding forward.
Sources: Protzen & Nair; PBS NOVA; SGdecoded
#archeology #inca 🏺
Note how the top layer is pushed up on the front side from sliding forward.
Sources: Protzen & Nair; PBS NOVA; SGdecoded
#archeology #inca 🏺
March 28, 2025 at 7:03 AM
In 1994, an excavation under a megalith at Ollantaytambo revealed how the Inca constructed roads to move these massive stones, using clay soil & gravel.
Note how the top layer is pushed up on the front side from sliding forward.
Sources: Protzen & Nair; PBS NOVA; SGdecoded
#archeology #inca 🏺
Note how the top layer is pushed up on the front side from sliding forward.
Sources: Protzen & Nair; PBS NOVA; SGdecoded
#archeology #inca 🏺
Cartagena de Indias was an important Spanish Empire stronghold, a major nexus point in the transport of New World gold & silver.
The city’s wealth also made it a target for raids by pirates, where it was repeatedly sacked:
www.earthasweknowit.com/pages/cartag...
#history #colombia #pirates
The city’s wealth also made it a target for raids by pirates, where it was repeatedly sacked:
www.earthasweknowit.com/pages/cartag...
#history #colombia #pirates
The Plunder of Cartagena de Indias: Conquest, Piracy, and Independence - Earth As We Know It
In terms of its historical significance, Cartagena de Indias was the most important city to emerge in the expansion of the Spanish Empire, playing a central role in the unfolding of South America's co...
www.earthasweknowit.com
March 18, 2025 at 1:56 AM
Cartagena de Indias was an important Spanish Empire stronghold, a major nexus point in the transport of New World gold & silver.
The city’s wealth also made it a target for raids by pirates, where it was repeatedly sacked:
www.earthasweknowit.com/pages/cartag...
#history #colombia #pirates
The city’s wealth also made it a target for raids by pirates, where it was repeatedly sacked:
www.earthasweknowit.com/pages/cartag...
#history #colombia #pirates
Two attempts at reconstructing what Bolivia’s Tiwanaku ruins of Pumapunka once looked like.
From the book “The Stones of Tiahuanaco” by Jean Pierre Protzen & Stella Nair.
#Archeology #Archaeology #Bolivia #Tiwanaku #AncientHistory
From the book “The Stones of Tiahuanaco” by Jean Pierre Protzen & Stella Nair.
#Archeology #Archaeology #Bolivia #Tiwanaku #AncientHistory
March 1, 2025 at 11:48 PM
Two attempts at reconstructing what Bolivia’s Tiwanaku ruins of Pumapunka once looked like.
From the book “The Stones of Tiahuanaco” by Jean Pierre Protzen & Stella Nair.
#Archeology #Archaeology #Bolivia #Tiwanaku #AncientHistory
From the book “The Stones of Tiahuanaco” by Jean Pierre Protzen & Stella Nair.
#Archeology #Archaeology #Bolivia #Tiwanaku #AncientHistory
For anyone who cares about protecting U.S. archeological sites:
www.culturalheritagepartners.com/join-us-emer...
#archeology #archaeology
www.culturalheritagepartners.com/join-us-emer...
#archeology #archaeology
February 26, 2025 at 10:29 PM
For anyone who cares about protecting U.S. archeological sites:
www.culturalheritagepartners.com/join-us-emer...
#archeology #archaeology
www.culturalheritagepartners.com/join-us-emer...
#archeology #archaeology
This Pierce Morgan interview grilling Graham Hancock about his ‘Sonic Levitation’ idea was pretty funny.
(Nice christmas pudding beanie too @stefanmilo.bsky.social 😆)
youtu.be/RsFusbWo4po?...
(Nice christmas pudding beanie too @stefanmilo.bsky.social 😆)
youtu.be/RsFusbWo4po?...
I'm never talking about this again.
YouTube video by Stefan Milo
youtu.be
February 18, 2025 at 8:07 AM
This Pierce Morgan interview grilling Graham Hancock about his ‘Sonic Levitation’ idea was pretty funny.
(Nice christmas pudding beanie too @stefanmilo.bsky.social 😆)
youtu.be/RsFusbWo4po?...
(Nice christmas pudding beanie too @stefanmilo.bsky.social 😆)
youtu.be/RsFusbWo4po?...
Reposted by Earth As We Know It
Andean spectacled bears are the only bear species known to build nests.
I saw this behavior at Maquipucuna Reserve, near Mindo, Ecuador.
It climbed to the top of the tallest tree, and began folding branches inwards to build a sturdy platform.
#photography #wildlife #bears
#Ecuador #SouthAmerica
I saw this behavior at Maquipucuna Reserve, near Mindo, Ecuador.
It climbed to the top of the tallest tree, and began folding branches inwards to build a sturdy platform.
#photography #wildlife #bears
#Ecuador #SouthAmerica
February 2, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Andean spectacled bears are the only bear species known to build nests.
I saw this behavior at Maquipucuna Reserve, near Mindo, Ecuador.
It climbed to the top of the tallest tree, and began folding branches inwards to build a sturdy platform.
#photography #wildlife #bears
#Ecuador #SouthAmerica
I saw this behavior at Maquipucuna Reserve, near Mindo, Ecuador.
It climbed to the top of the tallest tree, and began folding branches inwards to build a sturdy platform.
#photography #wildlife #bears
#Ecuador #SouthAmerica
