Machu Picchu

By Chea-Lene 

Up high in the mountain tops of Andes rests an ancient town of Machu Picchu or otherwise called “The Lost City.”Machu Picchu is one of the most familiar symbols known to the Inca Empire as it was believed to be built around 1420. During the peak of the Inca Empire, Machu Picchu was a very popular place, and around 1200 people lived there. When it was abandoned it was never found by the Spanish which is the reason we can only now see how the Incas actually lived. Therefore Machu Picchu is one of the most significant places and is truly one of the many wonders of the world.

 In 1911, Hiram Brigham was looking for a lost city called Vilcamba. Instead he rediscovered Machu Picchu on accident. While he was traveling, he met some Inca descendants who showed him the way to the site. The Inca descendants told him that they called it Machu Picchu which means “old peak.” He immediately started to excavate the site which made him learn that Machu Picchu was never discovered by the Spanish. Dedicated to his discovery, Brigham worked hard and continued to unearth the site to learn and search for more clues on how the Incas lived.

Machu Picchu is still a mystery to us because we are still not sure of why it was built in the first place. When it was first discovered by Hiram Brigham he thought it was built to be a sanctuary for the chosen women. These chosen women are picked as they are the wives of  Sapa Inca which was the Inca Emperor. This theory was based on the ratio of the women and the children to the men. Although this theory can be very true, further research and study shows that Machu Picchu could be built for a religious or a royal retreat matter as well. The reason it was abandoned is still a mystery to us. There are many theories of why the Incas could have abandoned this magnificent place, but one of them is the lost of water coming from the canals. No matter what reason Machu Picchu was abandoned, it was forgotten by the Incas once the Spanish arrived.

A big feature of Machu Picchu is the temples that are still there. Machu Picchu was built by polished dry stones. Since the Spanish never found Machu Picchu, the walls of it are still strongly stuck together. The architecture of Machu Picchu is outstanding in a way where the walls are cut out so perfectly that when it is put together it doesn't need cement to keep it together. The city was divided into two sections. As you know, Machu Picchu is up in the mountains which made the Inca citizens terrace most of the land to make more room for farming. The second section was for the urban areas which had palaces, houses, temples, and other buildings. This area was known as the Intihuatan, also called “hitching post of the sun”. The stone is acts like a sundial but on special occasions; the sun would be right on top of the stone which would cause it not to have any shadows. This is very rare, so when it does happen the Incas hold a special ceremony.  

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             Machu Picchu is still standing to this day, and is one of the wonders of the world. Tourism is very popular as it is an amazing site to see. In order to see this site, you would have to hike up the high mountains or fly above it because you can’t see it from the bottom. The hike up to the steep mountains of  Machu Picchu would take about three to four days using the “Inca Trail” guiding us the way. The trail is made up of path, steps and tunnels all used by the Incas back in the past. But if one does not prefer hiking up all the way they can also take a car or the train from Cuzco all the way up to the top, but no matter what you take to get up there, there is a high chance that you would suffer from vertigo as it’s a long way up. Although it's a rough way up, but many say it is worth it. Many still wonder what happened to Machu Picchu still this day, but “The Lost City” will always be a mystery to us. 

Citations: 

"Machu Picchu, Peru." Places of Peace and Power. 15 Feb. 2009

<http://www.sacredsites.com/americas/peru/machu_picchu.html >.

"Machu Picchu." Primary Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. 11 Feb. 2009 <http://school.ebonline.com/elementary/article?articleId=346167>.

Machu Picchu." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2009. Encyclopædia Britannica Online School Edition. 23 Feb. 2009 <http://school.ebonline.com/eb/article-9049747>.

Ruins of Machu Picchu. Photograph. 19 Feb. 2009 <http://www.sacredsites.com/

americas/peru/machu_picchu.html

Pictures

Machu Picchu. Photograph. . Web. 21 Jan. 2010  <http://school.ebonline.com/eb/art-92582>

Bingham, Hiram. Photograph. . Web. 23 Jan. 2010  <http://school.ebonline.com/eb/art-8904>.

The Intihuatana stone, Machu Picchu. Photograph. 19 Feb. 2009

<http://www.sacredsites.com/americas/peru/machu_picchu.html>.