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Inca Civilization: Moray, Cuzco

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Moray is a town in southern Peru approximately 50 km Northwest of the city of Cuzco near the town of Maras that is noted for a large complex of unusual Inca ruins.

Moray Inca ruins include most notably several enormous terraced circular depressions that were used to study the effects of different climatic conditions on crops. The depth of the pits (the largest is about 30 m deep) creates a temperature gradient of as much as 15° C between the top and the bottom. As with many other Inca sites, it also has a very sophisticated irrigation system for providing the plants with water. It is possible that the word Moray comes from the term "a moray", corn harvesting or from "moraya" or "moray" which is the name for dehydrated potato. International Year of the Potato.

The year 2008 has been declared the International Year of the Potato by the United Nations, noting that the potato is a staple food in the diet of the world’s population, and affirming the need to focus world attention on the role that the potato can play in providing food security and eradicating poverty.

The Incas built a notable civilization in western South America in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries. The center of their empire was in present-day Cuzco, Peru.
 
Machu Picchu is without doubt the most recognizable symbol of Inca Civilization. "The Inca Trail", as it is known now, was the Royal Highway that led pilgrims and officials of the Empire to the Sacred City of the Incas.