The ‘Great Wall of Peru’ Wasn’t Built for War. Here’s What It Was Actually For.
When a 90-mile wall was discovered in Peru in 1931, archaeologists assumed it was a military defense against the Incas. But the wall was too short and full of gaps to stop an army. The truth? It was a massive flood-control system built to hold back the devastating rains of El Niño—and the rulers used these recurring disasters to legitimize their own power.