Puquios, Ancient aqueduct system in Nazca District, Peru
Puquios is an underground irrigation network in Nazca District that channels water from the Andes through a series of hand-dug tunnels and open trenches into the dry coastal plain. The spiral openings at the surface connect the underground sections to daylight and allow maintenance access to the stone channels below.
The Nazca culture dug these channels between the 4th and 6th centuries to tap groundwater in a region where surface rivers flow only a few months each year. The network was expanded by later communities and remains in use for farming today.
The Nazca people engineered this complex water system with stone-lined galleries and ventilation shafts, demonstrating their advanced understanding of hydraulic principles.
Most accessible spiral entrances lie along rural roads around Nazca town, where they still irrigate orchards and fields. A visit is more comfortable in the morning when the sun is less intense and the stone structures easier to see.
Airflow through the spiral openings creates gentle pressure that pushes water along the underground channels, forming a natural pump without mechanical parts. Some entrances descend several meters and form even steps of stone and clay.
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