Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu

Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel, located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru, on a 2,430-metre mountain ridge. The Incas built the estate around 1450 but abandoned it a century later at the time of the Spanish conquest. In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide internet poll.

About Machu Picchu in brief

Summary Machu PicchuMachu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel, located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru, on a 2,430-metre mountain ridge. The Incas built the estate around 1450 but abandoned it a century later at the time of the Spanish conquest. It was declared a Peruvian Historic Sanctuary in 1981 and a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983. In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide internet poll. The name of the site is sometimes interpreted as ‘old mountain’ or ‘old person’ In English, the name is pronounced ˌmɑˉtʃuː piːt’uˉ, in Spanish as or, and in Quechua as ‘pikchu’ The first ‘c’ inPicchu is silent, and in Spanish, the first ‘C’ is silent. It is located 80 kilometres northwest of Cuzco. The Urubamba River flows past it, cutting through the Cordilleras and creating a canyon with a tropical mountain climate. Most people who lived there were immigrants from diverse backgrounds. Most skeletal remains at the site had lower levels of arthritis and bone fractures than those found in most sites of the Inca Empire. Animals are also suspected to have migrated to the area as there were several animal bones found that were not naturally live in the area. There were also varying osteological stressors and varying chemical densities suggesting varying long-term diets characteristic of specific regions that were spaced apart. These diets are composed of maize, potatoes, grains, fish, and legumes, the overall diet for these people was composed of less corn and more corn.

The majority of the food intake was a larger portion of the maize, potato, grains and fish, which suggests that several of the immigrants were from more coastal areas and moved to the Machupicchu area where corn was more plentiful. The Intihuatana, the Temple of the Sun, and the Room of the Three Windows are the three main structures at the base of the citadel. Its three primary structures are the Intihu sword, the Sun Throne, and The Room of The Three Windows. Most of the outlying buildings have been reconstructed in order to give tourists a better idea of how they originally appeared. By 1976, 30% of MachuPicchu had been restored and restoration continues. The site was not known to the Spanish during the colonial period and remained unknown to the outside world until American historian Hiram Bingham brought it to international attention in 1911. There is a consensus among archaeologists that Pachacutec ordered the construction of the royal estate for himself, most likely after a successful military campaign. During its use as a royal estate, it is estimated that about 750 people lived there, with most serving as support staff who live there permanently. During the harsher season, staff dropped down to around a hundred servants and a few religious specialists focused on maintenance.