Trifter

Image via Wikipedia

Deep in the Urubamba valley, through the thick Amazon of the Peruvian Andes, about 8,000 feet up a lush green mountain sitsMachu Picchu. The best kept remains of an Inca civilization hides in the cover of clouds. 

This mysterious city was undiscovered for many years before Hiram Bingham stumbled upon it in 1911.  It was said to have been abandoned some 40 years after the Spanish Conquistadors, lead by Francisco Pizzarro, took over Cusco in 1533.  Though it had been sitting there untouched for nearly 340 years it was in the best condition of any Inca city ever found.

200 stone structures were built there by the Incas.  The architecture was astonishing, stone walls put together so tightly there was no space to slide even piece of paper in.  Each stone was carved to fit the next, linked together like a puzzle of strength and stability.

Terraces were honed out of the mountain, looking like giant stairs.  These flat areas were used for growing, maize, quinoa, squash, tomatoes, peanuts, chili peppers, melons, cotton, and potatoes.  The Incas developed a way to water their crops by  making an irrigation system and aqueducts fed by mountain streams. 

One of the most important structure found was the Incas sacred stone called the Intihuantana stone, which means “Hitching post of the sun”.  It was believed to have been designed as an astronomical clock or calendar.  It has been shown to be a precise indicator of the two equinoxes.  At midday on March 21st and September 21st, the sun stands almost directly above the pillar, creating no shadow at all, it is at this moment it is “tied to the rock”. Ceremonies were held during these times. 

There are many different opinions on what Machu Picchu was and why it was there so hidden from everyone.  Some believe it was the estate of the Emperor Pachacuti, some think it was set as a religious site, a place to have their ceremonies. Others believed it was a Noble mans retreat, or maybe it was just a city of Incas that picked a great place to live without being bothered.  There is no one to tell us the answers so we will never truly know what it was used for or why it was so high up in the mountains.

Another question under debate is…”Why did they leave Machu Picchu?”

Some believe it was the Spaniards that came in carrying the smallpox disease and it spread to the Incas and they died.  Others think that the Spaniards invaded and drove them out, still others say that once Cusco was taken over the supply lines were shut down and the Incas either fled or died. 

This place is shrouded in mystery, questions without answers, and a puzzle with missing pieces. Machu Picchu is a beautiful place with an amazing history that we may never know.  Are you curious, do you want to know more? Dig into the Incas history and find you own opinion.  “What do you think really happened?” 

Image via Wikipedia