Machu Picchu Formation

Construction for Machu Picchu began in the 1400’s under the great Inca ruler Pachacutec. It is thought that it was built as a royal estate for the Inca ruler. However, due to its proximity to sacred mountains, it also is thought to have been a sacred religious site.

Machu Picchu (meaning old peak) sits at almost 8,000 feet above sea level and was constructed on top of two fault lines. Due to the amazing skill of the Incan stoneworkers, it has withstood several earthquakes since its creation. Sitting on the eastern slope of the Andes, landslides were a major threat. Evidence of Incan ingenuity can be seen in the formation of the terraces.

To counteract the heavy rains of the wet season and to improve drainage without loss of soil, the terraces were built in four layers. The base was made up of large stones which provided strength to hold the city up during times of disaster. The large stones were topped with gravel to allow water to flow through while keeping the terraces in place. The third layer was a mixture of sand and gravel that provided a base to keep the rich top soil (fourth layer) from washing down the mountain side. The top soil was most likely brought up from the valley floor to increase the harvest in the tough conditions presented high in the mountains.

Machu Picchu Layout

Machu Picchu is made up of nearly 200 buildings spanning over 80 acres in the Andean cloud forest. The ancient city was designed in four zones:

Farming Zone

As the name implies, this is where the food was grown for the city. Due to its extreme location, the residents did their best to grow as much as possible for the city. The rich top soil of the valley floor and the elevation of the different terraces, made it possible to grow several varieties of vegetables and grains in Machu Picchu.

Residential Area

The residential area is where the workers, merchants, and anyone other than nobility lived. Stone walls with thatched roofs provided shelter from the high elevation elements of the area.

Royal District

The area where the nobles lived was as expected more extravagant then the residential area. Accommodations were larger and just overall nicer than where the commoners lived. Since Machu Picchu was thought to be a royal estate for Pachacutec, much care was put into the planning of this area.

Sacred Area

This area was home to the temples and altars in Machu Picchu and where religious ceremonies would have taken place. Due to its proximity to sacred mountains, this was thought to be a key function of this city. Also, structures were used to observe the constellations to help plan the Inca planting and harvesting seasons. I will provide more detail about this areas down below.

Machu Picchu’s Most Notable Structures

While all of Machu Picchu is impressive, there are certain areas that will be showcased on any tour. I’ll pick a few of my favorites to discuss in greater detail.

• Temple of the Sun: The sun is key in Inca culture (as it is in almost all ancient civilizations). This temple has windows aligned with both the summer and winter solstices and its semi-circular construction is very rare in Incan masonry. It is also near where the emperor is thought to have resided.
• Intihuatana Stone: A large piece of sculpted granite sitting on a platform high above the city is thought to have acted like a calendar. Don’t miss an opportunity to pull energy from this stone!! I’ll say some of us are very in tune with nature. I don’t consider myself to be in that group, however I did feel an overwhelming feeling of calm and peacefulness while at the stone.

• Temple of the 3 Windows: A room with, you guessed it, three windows! The windows align with the sunrise and when discovered, the room was littered with broken pottery. It is believed this was done as part of the rituals that took place here.
• Principal Temple: Containing a stone altar, it is believed this is where large ceremonies took place in Machu Picchu considering its size and location.
• Temple of the Condor: This temple’s construction represents the condor with uplifted wings as the walls and its head was most likely an altar. A mummy was discovered in the caves under the wings, which leads historians to believe this was used for sacrifices.

Machu Picchu’s Decline

Machu Picchu’s residents were not raised in this city. Evidence suggests that the majority of the residents came from areas far from Machu Picchu. Using a variety of tests on the skeletons found at the site, it was determined that the residents’ bodies developed with different diets (children in different parts of the empire ate different things which shows up in their bones). Another factor showed that their bones suffered damage by various water parasites from across the Inca empire. As smallpox had wiped out most of the Inca Empire, it too had decimated the people of Machu Picchu. The city was meant for nobility, so most citizens did not know of it and the existence of the Inca Trail. Since families weren’t born and raised here, it was easy for the city to be forgotten with the passing of its residents.

With limited knowledge of the city from the Inca themselves, it was easy to see why the Spanish conquistadors had trouble discovering it. This blessing helped the ancient city remain mostly intact for hundreds of years. Although “Lost City” is a bit misleading because there were local farmers that knew of its location. These farmers even used some of the terraces for their own crops. Also, there is evidence that some explorers did find Machu Picchu but left without expanding their search on wider scale.

Rediscovering Machu Picchu

That all changed on July 24, 1911 when an American history professor was searching for the last known Inca stronghold, Vilcabamba. The son of a local farmer led Hiram Bingham to Machu Picchu. Since he was the one that brought international attention to the site, he is credited with its discovery. He led multiple expeditions back to Machu Picchu to excavate the ruins. He brought many of the treasures he found back to the US to study at Yale University. It took the Peruvian government years to settle with the university to return the artifacts to their rightful place.

Bingham mistakenly thought he had discovered the last holdout of the Inca, Vilcabamba. Even at the time of his death, he believed Machu Picchu and Vilcabamba were one in the same. Even though it wasn’t what he originally thought, his discovery still was an important one. Machu Picchu gave us our best look into Inca culture and society since its treasures were not ransacked by the Spaniards. The discovery was like stepping back in time hundreds of years to the glory days of the Inca.

Machu Picchu is a fascinating site nestled into a beautiful, albeit difficult to get to, setting. No matter how you decide to get there, it should be high on your list of places to visit. Whether you are a history lover, a nature buff, or an avid backpacker, Machu Picchu is sure to make the trip worth while!

For more information on the Inca and the Sacred Valley click on the link below. Again, thanks for visiting my site and I wish you safe travels! trekandteach.com