USAIDIS
(AIDIS-USA) SEPTEMBER 27, 2006
GUEST-SPEAKER MEETING
TOPIC:
Water Engineering Masterpieces of the
Inca Empire
SPEAKER: Kenneth R. Wright
TIME:
Wednesday, September 27, 2006, noon - 1:30
PM
PLACE:
Organization of American States (OAS)
1889 F Street NW
(3 blocks from Farragut West Metro
-exit 18th St)
Washington, DC
20006
COST:
Free ($13 for optional brown-bag lunch)
RESERVATIONS:
See below
We are pleased to invite you to a
special USAIDIS luncheon, at which Kenneth R. Wright will
discuss his research into some of the water engineering
masterpieces of the Inca Empire.
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About the speaker |
Kenneth R. Wright, P.E.
serves as Chief Engineer and
Chief Financial Officer of
Wright Water Engineers, Inc. (WWE),
of Denver, a company he founded
in 1961.
Mr. Wright is President of the
Wright Paleohydrological
Institute, an organization he
established in 1998 to further
the knowledge of past
civilizations through the study
of ancient water management and
practices. Under a government
permit from the Instituto
Nacional de Cultura in Lima,
Peru, Mr. Wright has conducted
field research in Peru at Machu
Picchu, Tipon and Moray since
1994. He has been conducting
field research, under a permit
from the National Park Service
and with the assistance of a
grant from the Colorado
Historical Society, in Mesa
Verde National Park since 1995.
This work has earned Mr. Wright
several distinguished awards,
including the 1997 Stephen H.
Hart Award from the Colorado
Historical Society, ASCE’s 2001
Civil Engineering History &
Heritage Award, and Honorary
ASCE Membership in 2006. The
Universidad Nacional de
Ingeniería in Lima made him
Profesor Honorario in 2003.
Mr. Wright has lectured twice at
the Library of Congress and once
at the Huntington Library. He is
a prolific author who has
published more than 100 articles
for civil engineering
publications and manuals during
his career. Two of his
books are described below.
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From
the abstract of the book Machu
Picchu: A Civil Engineering Marvel:
This book takes readers inside the
Lost City of the Incas for a groundbreaking perspective never
before seen by tourists or archeologists. Built high in the
Andes on a seemingly impossible site, Machu Picchu stands as a
testament to Early Native Americans and their ability to plan
and build. How was it possible to create a mountain-top city
complete with running water, drainage systems, food production,
and stone structures so advanced they have endured for over 500
years? Authors Kenneth R. Wright and Alfredo Valencia Zegarra
explain these and other mysteries, based on their original
engineering and scientific research.
From
the abstract of the book
Tipon: Water Engineering Masterpiece of the Inca
Empire:
The beauty and the ingenuity of this little-known jewel of the
Inca Empire is revealed in this book. Located down the Huatanay
River Valley by the Inca capital of Cusco, Tipon is a 500-acre,
self-contained, walled settlement that served as an estate for
Inca nobility. This historic agricultural site, which has been
farmed and partially irrigated for more than 450 years, is a
stunning civil engineering achievement by the Inca, who were
masters of irrigation and hydraulic technology. They designed
buildings, waterworks, and massive structures to be visually and
functionally in harmony with the natural environment. In
planning a place that would integrate water, soil, agriculture,
and topography, the Inca created a virtual water garden that
impresses all who visit. Kenneth R. Wright takes readers
on a tour of Tipon’s canals, plazas, aqueducts, and
fountains—infrastructure that transformed a remote mountainside
into a true engineering marvel.
RESERVATIONS DEADLINE FOR THE
SEPT. 27 MEETING:
5:00 PM, Monday, September 25.
E-mail or call Mary Norman,
normanme@bv.com, 301-921-8249
Orders must be placed in
advance for an optional $13 box-lunch when you RSVP.
Be sure to give your name, phone number, and business affiliation.
