Page 60 - All About History - Issue 28-15

MACHU PICCHU: THE CITY IN THE SKY

was one he had actually already found and Their methods of conquest were not always
Treasures of dismissed, thinking it was not grand enough, at violent or aggressive, instead using cunning and
Espiritu Pampa. Bingham may have died believing
negotiation as a tool to add new communities
Machu Picchu that the site he found at Machu Picchu was to the Inca people rather than taking them by
Vilcabamba Viejo, but the ruins and artefacts he
force (although this was an option that Pachacuti
The artefacts found are key to found there have arguably given more in terms certainly wouldn’t discount if a region was resistant
our fascination with the site of understanding Inca society than any other, to striking a deal – he was no ‘soft touch’).
and its people and remains a very popular site in its own right, Joining the Inca ‘confederation’ could offer plenty
as people are drawn to the myriad unexplained of benefits for a community, such as access to
aspects of its history. luxury goods and trade, not to mention valuable
Located 80 kilometres north west of Cusco, high passage along the remarkable Inca road system,
in the Andes mountains, the site of Machu Picchu spanning at least 15,000 miles across South
looks down on the Urubamba River. It nestles 2,350 America. In return, Pachacuti’s empire would
metres high, between two higher peaks, Machu benefit from the land, goods and services available
Picchu, from which it takes its name, and Huayna in that region.
Picchu (‘old’ and ‘new’ peak respectively). It was As soon as Hiram Bingham saw the buildings
at this precise spot that our most valuable insight at Machu Picchu, he knew them to be Inca
Quipu into Inca civilisation was found, but how had this structures. The engineering prowess of the Incas
Without written language, the Incas created an extensive and clearly archaeologically important was so impressive and revolutionary that they have
ingenious system of administration for people and site gone untouched by explorers, historians, and been called ‘the Romans of the New World’, and
goods – the quipu, a system of knotted strings. The even the ransacking of Spanish conquistadors at Machu Picchu, some of the most exceptional
type of knot representedanumber,andthedistance
between them multiples of ten, 100 or 1,000. until now? Bingham had hit the jackpot, but examples of their work still stand. The
the fascinating treasure trove of Inca absence of mortar between stones
Aryballos history brought with it just as 02 and the uniform custom-cut
Thearyballoswasalarge
jug-style container, most manyquestionsasitgave bricks that form the buildings
often used for carrying insights into the ancient at Machu Picchu are
liquidsandoils.Witha civilisation – the biggest why was typically Inca techniques.
conical base, it could be it built?
implanted in the ground andmostpressingof By not using mortar,
for storage. These were which was just who had Theory: Asafortress the buildings were
often decorated with built this incredible site, The abundance of strong structures such able to move slightly
oxidised orange pigment and why? as walls, towers and defences, including without crumbling,
and geometric patterns. drymoats,ledtothetheory that Machu
In the following an ingenious defence
Picchu was built as a defensive citadel. The
Bizmuth Bronze years, and indeed needforacitadelmayhavebeen due to against the frequent
ceremonial knives decades, since the excessive droughts, turning water into a earthquakes that affect
Found by Hiram discovery, theories have prized resource. This also allows for the the region. To make up
Bingham during abounded. The Incas had abandon of Machu Picchu, on the for the lack of mortar,
excavations, and basisthatwaterhadbecome
unique to the site not developed a written available elsewhere. the stones were cut so
of Machu Picchu, form of communication, precisely as to fit together
this artefact is andsoleftbehindnocodes tightly like a jigsaw, and
remarkable for its use of bismuth bronze, and is one
of the earliest examples of the copper alloy in use. thatcouldbethekeytoour without modern machinery, this
understanding. From assumptions work was done by hand.
of religious significance to pondering what sort Huge numbers of uniform granite bricks were
of conflict might have called for a high-altitude crafted, most likely by chipping away at slabs of
fortress, any and every plausible theory was stone with another rock. However, finding a rock
considered. As modern science has allowed for far tool strong enough wouldn’t have been easy, as
more accurate analysis of the remains that were although granite fractures readily enough, it is
found, including about 200 skeletons, some of a material far stronger than even concrete, and
these have been discredited, such as the site being repeated striking of the rock would weaken most
amonasteryfortheVirginsoftheSun,andtoday tools to breaking point.
Ceremonial pot it is most widely believed that the site was built on The significant rainfall that Machu Picchu
Unearthed in 2012, it seems there is plenty still to theordersoftheemperorPachacutitoserveasa attracts also made the site more susceptible to
be learned from Machu Picchu. This pot is a relic of secondary residence and governmental outpost. mudslides, and the rock chippings that resulted
Chimu culture, dating back 1,000 years. It is thought
to be an offering made to Machu Picchu itself. PachacutiIncaYupanquiwasanexpertbuilder from the crafting of the bricks were used to aid
oftheempire,andonewhorelishedtheidea drainage, providing a resourceful and convenient
Mummies of building a city that would consolidate his solution to the regular wet weather. Machu Picchu’s
Found near Machu
Picchu, in Tupac stronghold across Peru and to the edge of the buildings continue to be examined by engineers
Amaru, these Bolivian borders. Pachacuti is often compared to today, as they seek to improve the construction of
mummified remains PhilipIIofMacedonia,becauseofhisappetitefor buildings in earthquake-stricken areas across the
indicate that the Inca expansion, and throughout his rule between globe. Where modern structures may crumble,
preservation of dead
bodies was part of Inca 1438and1471hesignificantlyexpandedtheInca Machu Picchu has stood strong for centuries.
culture. Some bundles empire. With the help of his son and successor, We may not know exactly who was tasked with
even contained more TupacIncaYupanqui,Incasocietyspreadits the repetitive, laborious work of chipping away at
than one skeleton.
powerful reach out into what is modern-day granite blocks, but what is clear is that Pachacuti
southern Peru, and upwards to Quito, in Ecuador. must have had plenty of workers at his disposal.
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