Page 260 - DK Eyewitness Travel Guides - The World's Must-See Places

Machu Picchu

The II Lost City of the Inca II is one of the most spectacular
archeological sites in the world. Perched high on a saddle
between two peaks, surrounded by thick jungle and often
shrouded in cloud, it is almost invisible from below. A compact
BRAZIL
site of just 5 sq miles ( 13 sq km), it was built in 1460 by the
lncan ruler Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui. Although frequently
referred to as a city, it was more of a royal retreat for the
Inca aristocracy. About 1,000 people inhabited the area and
PACifiC
OCEA W they w ere completely self-sufficient, being surrounded by
agricultural terraces and watered by natural springs. Even
at the time, few people outside the closed Inca community A Llama at Machu Picchu
INCA ARCHITEC tuRE The Inca used llamas as pack
The people who built Machu Picchu possessed were aware of Machu Picchu's existence. anima Is and they w ere also a
incredibly advanced construction skills. Some source of wool, leather hides,
and meat.
of the building blocks weigh more than SO
tons, yet they are meticulously designed and
fit together so exactly that the thinnest knife
cannot be inserted between the mortarless
joints. The ruins are roughly divided into two
areas: the agricultural sector, consisting of
terraces for cultivation, and the urban sector,
with structures of vary1 ng size, canals, and steps.
The deSign of the Site reveals the creativity of
the bu1lders The enormous walls, delicate
terraang, and steep ramps could almost have
been sculpted out of the rock by the elements.

A lntihuatana
HIRAM BINGHAM
The discovery of th1s maJor lncan site 10 1911 Preserved Brick Work >
was one of the most sig11ficant archeolog1cal
finds of the 20th century Amencan explorer THE INCA TRAIL
Hiram B1ngham had set out to fmd Vileabamba,
The legendary Inca Trail climbs and descends a number
the legendary last refuge of the defeated Inca of steep valleys and crosses three mountain passes Agricultural
empire, but 1nstead he came across Machu of more than 12,000 ft (3,65B m). The breathtaking terraces and
scenery includes snow-capped mountains, dense cloud irrigation channels
Picchu. It took B 1ngham and h1s team several
forest, and delicate flowers. Cobblestones laid by the prevented soil
years to clear the th1ck vegetation that had Inca, as well as the tunnels that they constructed, can
covered the ruins. Underneath were houses, still be seen. It takes about four or five days before
temples, canals, and thousands of steps and hikers are rewarded with the unforgettable sight of
Machu Picchu through the Sun gate (lntlpunku).
terraces. What made the discovery so exciting
was the fact that the Spanish conquistadors
had not found and plundered the site, and that
it was also untouched by treasure hunters

INCA CULTURE
The Inca founded the1r caprtal, Cusco, in the
13th century and began a penod of conquest.
By the early 16th century, the Inca empire
reached from Chile to Colombia and controlled
around 12 mllhon people Tlis well-orgamzed
dvilizatlon had a sophisticated economy am A Sa <red Plaza
a road network of 20,000 m1les (32,200 km) With huge wind <MIS, the Temple of the
Three Wind<MIS adjoins the Sacred Plaza,
They rued wth fierce m1htary m1ght and had Majestic view of Mach.J Picchu at the end of the Inca Trail along with the Main Temple, which contains
a strict soaal herarcl)t, yet they also learned an almost flawlessly constructed wall .
from the cultures they conquered The Inca
worshiped the natural world, see1ng the Sun KEY D ATES
as the ultimate g1 ver of life and the1r leader as
c. 1200 1460 Micl-1500s 1911 1983
its direct descendant Mountain peaks, home
of the spints, were used for human sacifice. The Inca found their Machu Picchu is built, Machu Picchu is The site is uncovered Machu Picchu is
cap~al at Cusco, Peru, 7,970 It (2,430 m) above abandoned, possibly by US explorer delcared a World
Celestial events were monitored so they knew
and begin their far· sea le~Jel. due to civil waroVE'r Hiram Bingham. Her~age S ite by
when to plant and harvest crops, and when to reaching expansion. succession. UNESCO.
hold rei igious ceremonies.