The Incas were the best stone masons the world has ever seen. The care they took when assembling their most sacred temples is absolutely astonishing.

There is no mortar holding these stones together. The precise seams and stone nubs and recesses fit together perfectly, and many of the ruins have survived for centuries, and even withstood strong earthquakes.

This photo shows some of the nubs on the outside of the stones which were used for carrying them to their final locations. Afterwards, these would be shaved off to make a smooth surface. These were left unfinished for some reason, but it shows what they used to help handle the heavy stones.

The quarry for Ollantaytambo is quite a distance from the site, and down a steep valley and across a river. They have determined that to cross the river, the Incas used an island. They would dam one side of the river, move the stones across to the island and then move the dam to the other side of the island, always diverting the flow in their favour.

Location: Ollantaytambo, Peru