Machu Picchu's archeological site

During the years that the Inca empire was at its height (1471-1525), Copernicus was born, Michelangelo was commissioned to paint the Sistine Chapel, and Magellan first anchored in South America.

“Machu Picchu” is not what the Inca called the site. Hiram Bingham was pointed to “Machu Picchu” by a farmer in Quechua language, a term meaning “old peak” or “old mountain.”

The Inca empire was the largest empire in South American history. At its height, it dominated a huge portion of the continent and ruled approximately 12 million people. Only about 300 to 1000 people inhabited the site at Machu Picchu. These were members of the Inca nobility.

Machu Picchu’s was constructed without the use of mortar. Using a technique called ashlar, stones were carved into the right shape to perfectly fit together, so precisely that even a knife blade cannot fit between them.

Hundreds of terraces below the citadel stop it from sliding downhill. Andenes, or platforms, are an agricultural technique developed by the Inca that allowed them to defy the rugged terrain of the Andes and grow crops such as maize, potatoes, quinoa, and coca.

Machu Picchu was a site for astronomical observation. The sacred Intihuantana stone was used as a clock and calendar, with the sun setting directly on it at equinoxes and illuminating it on the summer solstice. This helped the Inca to know the best time for planting and harvesting.

The vegetation around the site is lush and diverse, including over 300 species of orchids.

Llamas roam around the ruins, and the animal was sacred to the Inca as well. Parts of the structure are shaped like a llama, and evidence of llamas being ritually sacrificed has been found within the temples.