Machu Picchu

Located in the Machu Picchu Peru district of Urubamba Province, a sacred valley 80 km northwest of Cusco. The Urubamba River passes through its Cordillera, forming a canyon with a mountainous tropical climate. The Incas, unlike the Maya, do not have a written language, and, as far as they are known, Europeans did not visit this place until the 19th century. Therefore, there is no written record of the website in use. The names of the buildings, their suspicions of use, and their inhabitants are all the product of modern archaeologists based on physical evidence, including the tombs on site.

History 

Hiram Bingham III took a picture of Machu Picchu in 1912 after extensive landfill and reconstruction work.  Machu Picchu is believed to have been built in the 1450s (by Richard L. Berger, a professor of anthropology at Yale University). The building appears to have been built by two great Inca rulers and Topa Inca Yupanqui (1472–1493). Perhaps after a successful military operation, he ordered the royal estate as a retreat. Machu Picchu is considered a “royal” estate, but the pedigree did not inherit it. Rather, it was used for 80 years, apparently due to the conquest of Spain, before being abandoned in other parts of the Inca Empire. Most of the inhabitants may have died of smallpox brought by travellers before the Spanish conquerors arrived in the area.

Machu Picchu’s Daily Life

While used as a royal mansion, an estimated 750 people lived there and worked almost permanently as auxiliary staff (Anaconda, Yana). The property belonged to Pachacuti, but religious experts and temporary skilled workers (Mayocs) also lived there, probably for the benefit and joy of the ruler. During the stormy season,  about 100 officials and some religious experts stopped focusing on maintaining the background. They lacked the chemical and osteological markers that would have kept them there for the rest of their lives. Instead, there was bone damage from different aquatic parasites that grow naturally in different parts of Peru. There are also different osteological stressors and different chemical densities, suggesting different long-term diets characteristic of different regions. These diets consist of corn, potatoes, grains, legumes, and fish, but the overall short-term diet for these people is low in fish and high in corn. This suggests that some immigrants came from coastal areas and migrated to Machu Picchu, where corn made up most of the diet. Most skeletal debris had less arthritis and fractures than those found in most Inca ruins. People with arthritis and fractures were usually heavy manual workers (like Mita) or served in the Inca army.

Where is Machu Picchu?

Machu Picchu is located in the southern hemisphere at 13,111 ° in the southern part of the equator. This is a survey of approximately 2,430 metres Northwest of Cusco,  about 2,430 metres of Central Sea level, 1,000 metres or more and 3,400 metres (1100 feet). As such, it had a calm climate as an Inca capital. It is one of the most important archaeological attractions in South America. Machu Picchu has most of the annual rainfall falling from October to March, providing wet summer and dry cold winter. 

Temple of the Sun or Treon

Built on the same rock above Bingham’s “King’s Mausoleum”, this semi-circular temple has what Bingham called a “parabolic enclosure”, the Temple of the Sun in Cusco. And similar to the Temple of the Sun in Pisac. Inside the temple is a 4’x8’rock platform with a smooth top except for a small platform in the southwestern quadrant. The “Snake Door” faces 340 ° north or west and faces a series of 16 pools. You can enjoy the view of Huayna Picchu. The temple has two curved windows, one facing the so-called “Solstice window” facing 65 ° and the other the so-called “Kurka window” facing 132 °. The northwestern end of the bedrock shows the solstice window within 2 feet of the rising sun at the solstice of June in the 15th century. For comparison: The angular diameter of the sun is 32′. The Inca constellation, Qullqa, is named because it can be seen through the Qullqa window at the solstice of June in the 15th century. At the same time, the Pleiades cluster is on the other side of the sky. This night, you can see Lamak Nawin, Lama, Unalamacha, Machakuai, and the star Pachapakarikchaska (Canopus) from this window.

Conclusion

Machu Picchu is situated in a mountainous region, and it is located in the highlands of Peru. Its modern name, “Old Peak”, was given by a Swiss man named Louis Felipe von Freycinet, who visited India and Burma. He was the first European to see it for himself. Machu Picchu is considered the most important archaeological site in America because of its architecture and location. It is believed to have been built around 1460 by the Sapa Inca, who was the emperor at that time. Machu Picchu means ‘Old Peak’ in the Quechua language. The Incas, who were the predecessors of today’s Peruvians, referred to it as “the navel of the world”.