Oh our Mother Earth, oh our Father Sky,
We are your children, with weary backs,
Bringing you gifts that you love.
Then weave for us a cloak of brilliance,
Let the foundation be the white light of morning,
Let the weft be the red light of evening,
Let the adornments be falling rain,
Let the edging be an eternal rainbow.
Then weave for us a cloak of brilliance,
So that we may walk gracefully on the green grass,
Oh our Mother Earth, oh our Father Sky!
Tewa Pueblo
Near the Sacred Valley of the Incas, forty kilometers from the city of Cuzco, there are interesting concentric terraces situated in natural sinkholes. It is not known who built them, but for the last users, the Incas, they were research stations for studying the impact of ecological factors on crop yields. Namely, the different depths and orientations of these terraces with respect to the wind and sunlight determine different microclimatic conditions, of which the temperature is the most pronounced. At the largest, thirty-meter deep sinkhole, the average temperature difference between the lowest and the The terraces reach up to five degrees Celsius, allowing for the cultivation of a large number of plant species. Pollen studies show that the Incas used to fill the Moray terraces with soil and grow seeds from different parts of the empire to improve their quality. The soil and seeds were brought from subtropical jungles, coastal desert areas, and the Andes Cordillera. Plant species that require lower temperatures for growth were cultivated on lower terraces, and vice versa. There was enough water at all levels thanks to irrigation channels that are still functional today. However, it is still unknown how the water was drained from the depressions, as even during the rainy season, the water does not accumulate or flood their bottoms. The Incas also understood the importance of soil nutrition, using guano, fish remains, compost, as well as the dung of llamas and alpacas. The terraced terraces of Moray are still a great mystery, but what is known is that the Incas had extensive knowledge of natural laws, which we are grateful for. varieties of potatoes, corn, cassava, and other crops tailored to human needs.