The Most Ancient Agricultural in The World

 An agricultural Experiment station ahead of its time - Maras Moray

Maras is a district of the Urubamba province, possible to be reached through a paved road from kilometer 50 on the road Cusco - Chinchero - Urubamba. It is located towards the west of Cusco at an altitude of 3300 mts. (10824 feet); over a plain that in prehistoric times was a huge plateau, from which it is possible to observe the range of mountains of Urubamba including the snow capped mountains of Weqey Willka (today "La Veronica", 5682 mts., 18641 ft.) and " Chikon" (5530 mts., 18143 ft.).

Moray is an archaeological site in Peru approximately 50 km (31 mi) northwest of Cuzco on a high plateau at about 3500 m (11,500 ft) and just west of the village of Maras. The site contains unusual Inca ruins, mostly consisting of several enormous terraced circular depressions, the largest of which is about 30 m (98 ft) deep. The purpose of these depressions is uncertain, but their depth and orientation with respect to wind and sun creates a temperature difference of as much as 15 °C (27 °F) between the top and bottom. This large temperature difference was possibly used by the Inca to study the effects of different climatic conditions on crops. In other words, Moray was perhaps an Inca agricultural experiment station. As with many other Inca sites, it also has a sophisticated irrigation system.

Land Erosion at Moray

During the rainy season of 2009/10, the region of Cusco received high levels of precipitation causing permanent damage to the ruins of Moray. The terraced levels of the complex, which are constructed from stone and compacted earth were extensively damaged as excessive rain waters undermined the ground beneath the structure. The eastern side of the principal circle collapsed during the month of February 2010, causing concerns over the longevity of the site as a top tourist attraction in Peru. A temporary wooden support structure was erected to prevent further collapse, as re-construction work was implemented.

According to travel writer Paul Jones, "Although repair work at Moray continues to restore the site to its original state, lack of funds and continuing annual rainfall hinder progress. This interesting archaeological site which forms an important part of tourism to the region continues to be at risk of further degradation, should the repair work not be completed and maintained for the future years."

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