![]() ![]() In their paper, published by Ñawpa Pacha: Journal of Andean Archaeology, the researchers conclude that the Incas originally called it Huayna Picchu, for the rocky summit that lies nearest to the site, and not Machu Picchu, which is the name of the highest mountain near the ancient city. Their findings suggest that less was known about the site than what was previously thought. Bauer from the University of Illinois Chicago reviewed Bingham’s original field notes, early 20th century maps of the region, and centuries-old land documents from different archives. More than 110 years after Bingham’s first visit to the site, historian Donato Amado Gonzales from the Ministry of Culture of Peru (Cusco) and archeologist Brian S. However, when Hiram Bingham first visited the ruins in 1911 and then brought them to the world’s attention, they were little known - even among those who lived in Peru’s Cusco region. Machu Picchu’s management challenge is preservation of the site while making it accessible to all those who hope to experience an incredible part of Inca history.Machu Picchu, Peru. In fact it’s a must-see for any visitor to Peru and the draw that compels many to travel to that nation. While indigenous peoples knew of the site, Peru’s Spanish conquerors never did-a fact which aided Machu Picchu’s isolation, and preservation, over the centuries. In 1911 a Peruvian guide led Yale professor Hiram Bingham up a steep mountainside and into the history books as the first Western scholar to lay eyes on the “lost city” of Machu Picchu. Their tremendous effort apparently benefited relatively few people-some experts maintain that fewer than a thousand individuals lived here. When Machu Picchu was built some 500 years ago the Inca had no iron, no steel, and no wheels. The Inca’s achievements and skills are all the more impressive in light of the knowledge they lacked. The 700-plus terraces preserved soil, promoted agriculture, and served as part of an extensive water-distribution system that conserved water and limited erosion on the steep slopes. The site’s buildings, walls, terraces, and ramps reclaim the steep mountainous terrain and make the city blend naturally into the rock escarpments on which it is situated. ![]() Landscape engineering skills are in strong evidence at Machu Picchu. The Inca had no written language, so they left no record of why they built the site or how they used it before it was abandoned in the early 16th century. Machu Picchu appears to lie at the center of a network of related sites and trails-and many landmarks both man-made and mountainous appear to align with astronomical events like the solstice sunset. Scholars are still striving to uncover clues to the mysteries hidden here high in the eastern slopes of the Andes, covered with tropical forests of the upper Amazon Basin. The ruins lie on a high ridge, surrounded on three sides by the windy, turbulent Urubamba River some 2,000 feet (610 meters) below. The complex of palaces and plazas, temples and homes may have been built as a ceremonial site, a military stronghold, or a retreat for ruling elites-its dramatic location is certainly well suited for any of those purposes. Machu Picchu is tangible evidence of the urban Inca Empire at the peak of its power and achievement-a citadel of cut stone fit together without mortar so tightly that its cracks still can’t be penetrated by a knife blade. Reason: Machu Picchu is one of the most important archaeological sites in the world.
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