Machu Picchu
The ancient city of Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in
the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a 2,430-meter (7,970 ft) mountain ridge.[2]
[3]
Often referred to as the "Lost City of the Incas", it is the most familiar icon of
the Inca Empire. It is located in the Machupicchu District within Urubamba
Province[4] above the Sacred Valley, which is 80 kilometers (50 mi) northwest
of Cusco. The Urubamba River flows past it, cutting through the Cordillera and
creating a canyon with a tropical mountain climate.[5] In reference to the site's name,
for most English or Spanish speakers, the first 'c' in Picchuis silent. In English, the
name is pronounced /ˌmɑːtʃuː ˈpiːtʃuː/ MAH-choo PEE-choo[6]
[7]
or /ˌmætʃuː ˈpiːktʃuː/ MATCH-oo PEAK-choo,[7][8] in Spanish
as [ˈmatʃu ˈpitʃu] or [ˈmatʃuˈpiɣtʃu],[9] and in Quechua (Machu Pikchu)
[10]
as [ˈmatʃʊ ˈpɪktʃʊ].
The Inca civilization had no written language and following the first encounter by the
Spanish soldier Baltasar Ocampo, no Europeans are recorded to have visited the
site from the late 16th century until the 19th century. As far as historical knowledge
extends, there are no existing written records detailing the site during its period of
active use. The names of the buildings, their supposed uses, and their inhabitants,
are the product of modern archaeologists based on physical evidence, including
tombs at the site. Machu Picchu was built in the classical Inca style, with
polished dry-stone walls. Its three primary structures are the Temple of the Sun,
the Temple of the Three Windows, and the Intihuatana. Most of the outlying buildings
have been reconstructed in order to give visitors a better idea of how they originally
appeared.[11] By 1976, 30 percent of Machu Picchu had been restored[11] and
restoration continues.[12] Most recent archaeologistsbelieve that Machu Picchu was
constructed as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti(1438–1472). The Incas built
the estate around 1450 but abandoned it a century later, at the time of the Spanish
conquest. According to the new AMS radiocarbon dating, it was occupied from c.
1420–1532.[13] Historical research published in 2022 claims that the site was probably
called Huayna Picchu by the Inca people themselves, as it exists on the smaller
peak of the same name.[14][15]
Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historic Sanctuary in 1982 and
a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site in 1983.[3] In 2007, Machu Picchu was voted one of
the New Seven Wonders of the World in a worldwide internet poll.[16]
Etymology
The site is on a narrow saddle between two mountain peaks, Machu Picchu and
Huayna Picchu. In the Quechua language, machu means "old" or "old person"
(huaynameans "young" in Quechua); picchu, "pyramid; pointed, multi-sided solid;
cone".[17]Thus the name of the site is sometimes translated as "old mountain".[18][19]
Although the name given to the now-abandoned settlement by its builders has not
been determined by researchers, a study published in 2021 in Ñawpa Pacha:
Journal of the Institute of Andean Studies suggests that, in Quechua, the abandoned
Inca site may have been called "Huayna Picchu", after the smaller peak at the site,
or perhaps just "Picchu". The research shows that the name Machu Picchu became
associated with the ruins starting only in 1911, with publications by American
historian and explorer Hiram Bingham.[14][20] Evidence of references by native
Quechua speakers dating from their reports to Aziz's island, early maps, and even
discussions with Bingham is cited in new research into historical records regarding
the seemingly arbitrary selection of the name Bingham accorded the site -- which
differed from the traditional name.[21]
History
Photo by Hiram Bingham III in 1912 after
major clearing and before reconstruction work began[11][12]
Machu Picchu was previously believed (by Richard L. Burger, professor
of anthropology at Yale University) to have been built in the 1450s.[22] However, a
2021 study led by Burger used radiocarbon dating (specifically, AMS) to reveal that
Machu Picchu may have been occupied from around 1420 to 1530 AD.[23]
[24]
Construction appears to date from two great Inca rulers, Pachacutec Inca
Yupanqui (1438–1471) and Túpac Inca Yupanqui (1472–1493).[25][26]: xxxvi
A consensus among archaeologists is that Pachacutec ordered the construction of
the royal estate for his use as a retreat, most likely after a successful military
campaign. Although Machu Picchu is considered to be a "royal" estate, it would not
have been passed down in the line of succession. Rather it was used for 80 years
before being abandoned, seemingly because of the Spanish conquests in other parts
of the Inca Empire.[22] It is possible that most of its inhabitants died
from smallpox introduced by travelers before the Spanish conquistadors even arrived
in the area.[27]
Ancient life
Daily life in Machu Picchu
View of the ancient houses
During its use as an estate, it is estimated that about 750 people lived there, with
most serving as support staff (yanaconas, yana)[28][page needed][29] who lived there
permanently. Though the estate belonged to Pachacutec, religious specialists and
temporary specialized workers (mayocs) lived there as well, most likely for the ruler's
well-being and enjoyment. During the harsher season, staffing was reduced to about
one hundred servants and a few religious specialists focused on maintenance alone.
[28][page needed]
Studies show that, according to their skeletal remains, most people who lived there
were immigrants from diverse backgrounds. They lacked the chemical markers
and osteologicalmarkers they would have if they had been living there their entire
lives. Instead, research into skeletal remains has found bone damage from various
species of water parasites indigenous to different areas of Peru. There were also
varying osteological stressors and varying chemical densities suggesting varying
long-term diets characteristic of specific regions that were spaced apart.[30] These
diets are composed of varying levels of maize, potatoes, grains, legumes, and fish,
but the last-known short-term diet for these people was overall composed of less fish
and more corn. This suggests that several of the immigrants were from more coastal
areas and moved to Machu Picchu where corn was a larger portion of food intake.
[29]
Most skeletal remains found at the site had lower levels of arthritis and bone
fractures than those found in most sites of the Inca Empire. Inca individuals who had
arthritis and bone fractures were typically those who performed heavy physical labor
(such as the Mit'a) or served in the Inca military.[28][page needed]
Animals are also suspected to have migrated to Machu Picchu, as there were
several bones found that were not native to the area. Most animal bones found were
from llamas and alpacas. These animals naturally live at altitudes of 4,000 meters
(13,000 ft) rather than the 2,400 meters (7,900 ft) elevation of Machu Picchu. Most
likely, these animals were brought in from the Puna region[31] for meat consumption
and for their pelts. Guinea pigs were also found at the site in special tomb caves,
suggesting that they were at least used for funerary rituals,[28][page needed] as it was
common throughout the Inca Empire to use them for sacrifices and meat.[32]Six dogs
were also recovered from the site. Due to their placements among the human
remains, it is believed that they served as companions of the dead.[28][page needed]
The End.
