Word: incas
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Dates: during 1920-1929
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...Golden Age of Inca history, there was a highly developed written language, consisting of signs and symbols which I cannot describe here, and written most often on dried jugilatsi or plantain leaves, sometimes on another leaf like the elephant-ear or burdock--these being unaccountably preferred for public writings because of their cumber-some size Now it came to pass (as they say in the fairy stories) that one season the burdock leaves all withered, and the sun-prophets prophesied evil, declaring that the almighty Sun was withered the leaves because of displeasure at what was written thereon...
...fact has evidently been overlooked, and it leaves room for a theory which has been borne out by our discoveries here. That fact is the clause "by the people" in the edict banning the alphabet. Just what did that phrase mean to the Incas? It will be remembered that the Circle of the Elders at the university were also priests of the Sun-god. Clearly, then, what was written on the burdock by members of their sacred caste could not be displeasing to the god, and did not need to be destroyed, to ward off evil, as did the popular...
...mountain-side overlooking the Urubaniba River valley. These buildings were all of the finest type, luxurious residences with individual bed-chambers and spacious, well-lighted studies. Unfortunately these rooms were so large, and apparently so much had been spent on their construction in the finest type of High-Inca architecture, that they were entirely too few in number. This at least was an explanation for certain curious structures which we had found in the vicinity--little platforms set in the branches of nearby trees, with scanty-walls and roofs. No doubt these tree-huts had been the overflow dormitories...
...hour of walking we came to the end. Digging our way out, we reached the upper air and looked about us in entirely new surroundings. The place where we had come out was nothing less than Machu Picchu, the old capital city which Bingham discovered, the Hub of the Inca universe. You will remember from my earlier letters that the University was situated on a spur of the same mountain-unit on which the city was perched, but separated from it by a steep ridge which made it almost inaccessible. The tunnel had been built underneath to communicate between...
...posted in public places. Further perusal of the college news sheet reveals that this custom, as well as the others here enumerated, had been received with mixed feelings and that such terms as paternalism, laissez-faire, and indifference were common tender. At all events, it is evident that the Inca University was run on a carefully organized, well-detailed plan. Indeed, one record purporting to be a payroll indicates that the number of executive officials deans, secretaries, registrars, and the like was at least three times the number of professor and members of the faculty. Cordially yours. J. BLAIR-DUNGAM...