书城外语一本书读懂消失的文明
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第26章 印加——没有书面语言的文明(3)

库斯科古城与古堡建筑:人来人往的西方殖民地

库斯科古城位于秘鲁的安第斯山脉,在印加王帕查库蒂统治之下发展成为一个复杂的城市中心,其具有独特的宗教和行政的职能。库斯科古城与马丘比丘不一样,入侵者并没有把它夷为平地,而是在把这里变成自己的营地,因此它现在还是人来人往。库斯科古城不仅有着印加帝国的建筑,也有着西方殖民建筑。

萨克萨曼圆形古堡是库斯科城著名的建筑之一,古堡建筑在一个小山坡上,是俯瞰全城的巨大防御系统。据说其主堡是由印加王帕查库蒂于15世纪70年代动工修建的,工程持续了50多年,直到西班牙殖民着入侵之前还没完全竣工。这个巨大的建筑群从上至下共有3层围墙,每层墙高达18米,长达540米。古堡下层台阶用石板铺成,长达800米。

古堡最高处是由3座塔楼围起来的一个非常整齐的三角形,圆柱体主塔是印加王的行宫,其他两个正方形塔楼为驻军之处。古堡底下有用石头砌成的网状地道,它和3座塔楼相通,其结构新颖而复杂。这一庞大而坚固的宏伟壮观的建筑群显示了印加帝国的强大。

The Inca Saltpan:The ancient saltpan in Malamine

One of the most famous scenic spot in Coors is the ancient saltpan in Mala mine. Salt production is one of the main industries here, and it has begun since the period of Incan civilization.

After the clever Inca people discovered that the groundwater which flew through the salt mine in the mountain contained much salt, they dug many salt troughs in the mountain to draw the water in them. The groundwater flew through the troughs, evaporated under the hot sun and finally crystallized into coarse salt. The development of salt production kept the Incas free from the troubles caused by lack of food and clothing and thus spared more time for the Incas to build their empire. It is hard to believe that thousands of years later saltpans continue to be one of the economic powerhouses for the local people.

印加盐田:玛拉斯矿区的古盐田

库尔斯最为著名的景点之一便是玛拉斯矿区的古盐田,产盐业是这里的主要工业之一,而这项工业自从印加文明时期便已经开始。

聪明的印加民族发现这里的地下水流经山中的盐矿,水中含盐量极高,于是人们在山上挖出许多盐槽,将水引流至盐槽,水缓缓流过盐槽经过日晒蒸发后便会留下结晶体,形成粗盐。制盐业的发展使得印加人不为温饱问题所牵绊,印加民族赢取了更多的时间去经营国家。很难相信,这些盐田能够延续千年,现在依旧是当地人的经济支柱之一。

The ancient city of Chan Chan:It witnessed Chimu Empire’s periodof bloom

The ancient city of Chan Chan is a once magnificent ancient city.In the history of Inca civilization, the ancient city witnessed Chimu Empire’s period of bloom. The ruins of the ancient city still retain large-scale networks of irrigation. Despite of the hundreds of years of weathering, those totems carved on the wall still seem lifelike, recounting to us the prosperous city in bygone days.

Chimu culture existed during the period from the 11th century to the 15th century. The ancient city of Chan Chan covers an area of 36 square kilometers with roads connecting all the parts throughout the country. The city reached its peak during the period from the 14th century to the 15th century. Inside the city, there are ten inner cities with encircling walls. Research shows that those inner cities probably served as the mausoleums of the empire's ten monarchs and at the same time as the royal residential castle. Usually, inside these inner cities there are reservoirs, grand palaces and other buildings. Those buildings are magnificent with walls beautifully decorated by exquisite patterns. Ordinary citizens lived outside the castle. The relics unearthed in the city include bronze brass, golden and silver wares, pottery and textiles,etc. In the 16th century, the city was destroyed by the Spain invasion.

昌昌古城:见证了奇穆帝国的盛极一时

昌昌古城曾经是一座非常宏伟的古城,它见证了印加古文明奇穆帝国的盛极一时,至今断壁残垣还遗留着大规模的灌溉网。虽经历了数百年的风吹日晒,那些雕刻在墙壁上的图腾依旧栩栩如生,向我们诉说着这座古城曾经的繁华。

奇穆文化约存在于11~15世纪。昌昌古城的面积达36平方千米,有道路通达全国,该城在14~15世纪时最繁荣,城中心有十座建有围墙的内城。研究表明,这些内城可能是帝国十位君主的陵墓并兼作王族居住的城堡,里面一般有贮水池和宫室等建筑。这些建筑规模宏伟,院墙配有精美图案装饰,普通居民则住在城堡之外。古城中出土的文物有铜器、金银器、陶器、织布机纺织品等。16世纪,这座古城损毁于西班牙人的入侵之下。

Nazca Lines:A 2000-year-old mystery

In southern Peru's Nazca, there exists a 2000-year-old mystery: miles and miles of lines constitute various patterns on the surface of the earth. Even now, the mystery still remains unsolved——who created the Nazca lines, how they were created, what the Nazca lines mean.

These patterns are distributed in an area of 200 square miles in southern Peru. The patterns cover so great an area that a person can get a full view of the patterns only up in the sky with an altitude of above 300 meters. Thus, it is hard for the ordinary persons standing on the ground with a horizontal angle to believe that the irregularly-shaped strips of lines turn out to form a huge pattern when they are observed from high in the sky.

These patterns appeared in the 1st century. There still exist all kinds of opinions as to their uses. Some people say that they are used for irrigation. Others say that this area is used to hold ceremonial activities and that the lines resemble the sacred road of the Incan empire. There are even people who suspect that it is the doings of the aliens.

纳斯卡线条:一个2000年的谜局

秘鲁南部的纳斯卡地区存在着一个2000年的谜局:一片绵延几公里的线条,构成各种生动的图案,镶刻在大地之上。究竟是谁创造了纳斯卡线条,它们又是怎样创造出来的,神秘线条背后意味着什么?至今仍无人能破解这些谜团。

纳斯卡线条图案分布在秘鲁南部一块完整地域上,面积达200平方英里。由于图案十分巨大,人们只能在300米以上的高空才能看到图案的全貌,所以一般人处于地面的水平角度上时根本无法得知这些不规则的线条在高空观看时所呈现的竟是一幅幅巨大的图案。

这些图案出现于公元1世纪,关于这些图案的用途至今仍是众说纷纭。有人说这些图案是用以灌溉的;有人说这里是用来举行礼仪活动的场所,与印加帝国的神圣之路相似;还有人甚至怀疑这是外星人所为。