The early South American civilizations learned how to build stone structures to survive earthquakes. In the Incan capitol of Cuzco there were buildings that the Spanish built facades over. When a major earthquake in 1650 occurred the Spanish facades all fell but the underlying Incan structures were still standing. After another major earthquake in 1950 the same thing happened. Modern buildings fell and all the ancient Incan structures survived.
(The Great Courses – Lost Worlds of South America)