Fun Facts About Machu Picchu
One of the most remote and downright coolest mountain retreats in the world, Machu Picchu shows much cause for admiration. It has certainly always held mine.
Did you know..
*Machu Picchu is an establishment of buildings and farm terraces high in the mountains of Peru. It was built sometime around 1460 by the Incas, and was "lost" to the western world for nearly 400 years after it's abandonment.
*Even though it is quite large, Machu Picchu was not a city, but rather merely a royal estate. The Inca ruler, Pachacuti (reign 1438-1471) is presumed to have built it for himself and his family.
*Though it was simply a private estate, it was occupied most of the year by retainers who took care of the land and protected the area. Seasonally, the emperor and his family would retreat to Machu Picchu to get away from the stress of politics. Quite the vacation destination!
*Due to its remoteness, the Spanish never found this estate during their invasion. However, had they found it, they would have encountered empty buildings and overgrown terraces, for the Incas had already abandoned it.
*The reason for this abandonment is still a mystery, though speculation has it that most of its last inhabitants died from smallpox, brought in from Inca travelers after the Spanish first arrived in Peru.
*Hiram Bingham came across Machu Picchu in 1911 when following a local guide to some ruins he had heard about. He was actually looking for the lost city of Vilcambamba, where according to legend, Inca royalty held out against the Spanish invasion for many years until they were finally found and ultimately extinguished.
*H. Bingham is credited for "rediscovering" the estate. Although, he did not actually discover it since there were already people occupying the site by the time he got there. The numerous terraces of the estate had, in fact, been farmed for many years by local families. Even their children had played amongst the building's ruins. Now that's MY kind of playground!
*The stone bricks that make up the buildings and terraces of the estate are laid without any mortar. They fit nearly perfectly together. Due to this impressively sturdy construction, Machu Picchu has survived many earthquakes over the last 550 years.
*Machu Picchu means "Old Mountain" in Quechua.
~Knowledge is Power~
My learning experiences come from:
Catling, Christopher & Bahn, Paul. The Complete Practical Encyclopedia of Archaeology. London. Hermes House. 2009.
*****
Pollard, Justin. The Story of Archaeology in 50 Great Discoveries.
London. Quercus. 2007.
*****
Jones, Dr. David M.. The Everyday Life of the Ancient Incas. London.
Hermes House. 2010.
