Bridge made of string: Peruvians weave 500-year-old Incan crossing back into place

[Judi Lynn]

Q’eswachaka bridge connected communities divided by Apurimac river before falling into disrepair because of pandemic

Reuters in Lima
Tue 15 Jun 2021 20.04 EDT



Peruvians re-weave Incan hanging bridge spanning river – video

Reuters in Lima
Tue 15 Jun 2021 20.04 EDT

Peruvians from the Huinchiri community in Cusco region are rebuilding a 500-year-old Incan hanging bridge, made using traditional weaving techniques to string a crossing together spanning the Apurimac river far below.

The Q’eswachaka bridge has been used for over 500 years to connect communities divided by the river. But during the Covid pandemic it fell into disrepair and collapsed in March.

Members of the affected communities, such as the Huinchiri, decided to rebuild the 30-meter (98.43 ft) long bridge in the traditional Incan style: by weaving it.



Members of the Huinchiri community rebuild the Qeswachaka bridge in Canas province, Peru. The bridge spans the Apurimac river. Photograph: Cusco Regional Government/Reuters

Teams of workers, starting from both sides of the ravine and balancing on giant main ropes that had been stretched over the river, worked towards the centre, putting in place smaller ropes as barriers between the handrail ropes and the walkway’s floor.

More:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jun/16/bridge-made-of-string-peruvians-weave-500-year-old-incan-crossing-back-into-place

[RKP5637]

1. Incredible pictures, thanks for posting this!!! n/t

[Goonch]

2. Sighting

[wendyb-NC]

3. Eek, that's some drop

down to the water, from the walkway.

What an amazing process. It is good to know that these indigenous people have been able to keep the ancient traditional, arts,skills, roles alive through so many generations. It is so heartening, as many indigenous peoples in other nations have not fared so well, including obviously , in our own country.

This is quite a community project, ceremonious, occasion and a celebration for the whole. It's hard to imagine staying safely balanced on the bridge support ropes for hours on end, while weaving the upright supports and railings on either side of the new bridge in progress. Every part of it fashioned from grass and sticks, that grow there.

Very informative video, phenomenal people and culture. Thank you for sharing it, Judi Lynn.

[csziggy]

4. A few years ago I went to the Smithsonian Native American Museum

At the time their big visiting exhibit was about the Inca bridges. They had a short section of one, and a video about how they are made. While they are really neat, there is no way I would ever walk across one!

Here is their page about the exhibit:

The Great Inka Road
https://americanindian.si.edu/inkaroad/

[Judi Lynn]

5. That link you've posted is outstanding! Really looking forward to going through it. Thank you. ⭐️

[csziggy]

6. We spent the entire day in Washington at the Native American Museum

Aside from the Inka Road exhibit, the other exhibits are absolutely immersive and beautiful. Lunch was at their cafeteria which had different sections for different groups - we had salmon from the Pacific Northwest, but it was a hard choice. I highly recommend that as a good place for lunch if you're touring the Mall area of DC.

Our only regret was that we did not go to the then brand new African American Museum - it was so new they were giving out tickets and we weren't certain of our timing so we didn't get any ahead of time.

[Judi Lynn]

7. It's easy to see how a day there would be priceless. People would gain so much for going.

So glad you've taken the time to make people more aware of what's available to them. It's clearly worth the time. It's all information that was never really covered in public education. It's serious information.

If the opportunity arises, no one should miss it.

~ ~ ~

Here's an article about a man who spent his adult life trying to document the Original Americans for the U S government. There are great volumes in libraries, and the Library of Congress, and books stores holding his many portraits of his subjects. It's good to keep in mind they had probably all be through hell by the time he found them, and easy to understand why they didn't all wear huge grins!

https://www.goldenfingers.info/edward-s-curtis-photographs-of-disappeared-world/

~ ~ ~

Thanks for the illumination.

[csziggy]

8. Oh, yes, Curtis' photographs are amazing

When I was working at the university library in the 1970s, I came across a copy of the several volume edition of Curtis photos and spent time (on the clock, my bad) looking through the pictures. That library was a depository library which meant it got copies of everything Library of Congress did. I don't know if they still do that kind of thing, but it certainly made for interesting browsing, including all the government publications.

[Warpy]

9. Here is the original film

Note that the bridge is replaced on a yearly basis.