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78-663: The Sacred Valley is a major tourist destination. In 2019, 1.6 million people, the majority non-Peruvians, visited Machu Picchu , its most famous archaeological site. Many of the same tourists also visited other archaeological sites and modern towns in the Sacred Valley. Stretching from Pisac to Ollantaytambo , this fertile valley is irrigated by the Urubamba River. The Chanapata civilisation first utilised this area starting at around 800 BCE because of its rich soil used for agriculture. The Qotacalla civilization lived in

156-527: A "historic sanctuary". In addition to the ruins, the sanctuary includes a large portion of the adjoining region, rich with the flora and fauna of the Peruvian Yungas and Central Andean wet puna ecoregions . Beyond its historical significance, Machu Picchu houses a diverse range of species. Among them are the Andean fox , puma , vizcacha, spectacled bear , and white-tailed deer. The sanctuary

234-472: A "summit," "peak," or "pyramid." Thus, the name of the site is often translated as "old mountain" or "old peak". Although the original name given to the settlement by its builders is not definitively known, a 2021 study in Ñawpa Pacha : Journal of the Institute of Andean Studies suggests that the site was likely called "Huayna Picchu," after the smaller peak nearby , or simply "Picchu." According to

312-403: A bottom layer of larger stones covered by loose gravel. On top of the gravel was a layer of mixed sand and gravel packed together, with rich topsoil covering it. Research showed that the topsoil was probably moved from the valley floor to the terraces because it was much better than the soil higher up the mountain. Little information exists surrounding human sacrifices at Machu Picchu, though it

390-508: A governmental crop laboratory or a seedling nursery of the Incas. The Inca customarily divided conquered lands into three more-or-less equal parts. One part was for the emperor (the Sapa Inca ), one part for the religious establishment, and one part for the communities of farmers themselves. In the 1400s, the Sacred Valley became an area of royal estates and country homes. Once a royal estate

468-515: A long historical significance. In times of warfare, the Incas would take the decapitated skulls of their enemies and turn them into drinking vessels for chicha. This ceremonial process of drinking chicha from the head of a foe symbolized the successful transformation from the disorder of warfare to the order of the Incan Empire. Large scale maize production in the Sacred Valley was apparently facilitated by varieties bred in nearby Moray , either

546-611: A much shorter shadow on its northern side. Yawar Waqaq Yawar Waqaq (Hispanicized spellings Yahuar Huacac, Yáhuar Huácac ) or Yawar Waqaq Inka ( c.  1380  – c.  1410 ) was the seventh Sapa Inca of the Kingdom of Cusco (beginning around CE 1380) and the second of the Hanan dynasty. His father was Inca Ruq'a (Inca Roca). Yawar's wife was Mama Chicya (or Chu-Ya) and their sons were Paucar Ayllu and Pahuac Hualpa Mayta. Yawar's name refers to

624-502: A pass and into the Pampaconas Valley where he found more ruins heavily buried in the jungle undergrowth at Espíritu Pampa , which he named "Trombone Pampa". As was the case with Machu Picchu, the site was so heavily overgrown that Bingham could only note a few of the buildings. In 1964, Gene Savoy further explored the ruins at Espiritu Pampa and revealed the full extent of the site, identifying it as Vilcabamba Viejo , where

702-505: A saddle between the two mountains Machu Picchu and Huayna Picchu, with a view down two valleys and a nearly impassable mountain at its back. The agricultural terraces, covering about 4.9 hectares (12 acres), complemented the site's architecture and protected against runoff and erosion. Constructed with stone retaining walls and well-drained topsoil, the terraces were built using deeper strata and stone chips to enhance drainage and ensure stability. Two high-altitude routes from Machu Picchu cross

780-590: A story that he was abducted as a child by the Sinchi (Warlord) Tokay Qhapaq of the Ayarmaca nation, crying tears of blood over his predicament. He eventually escaped with the help of one of his captor's mistresses, Chimpu Orma. Assuming the reign at the age of 19, Yawar conquered Pillauya, Choyca, Yuco, Chillincay, Taocamarca and Cavinas. This royalty -related article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This article on Pre-Columbian America

858-512: A study of the soil around the terraces showed that what was grown there was mostly corn and potatoes, which was not enough to support the 750+ people living at Machu Picchu. This explains why studies done on the food that the Inca ate at Machu Picchu suggest it was imported from the surrounding valleys and farther afield. It is estimated that the area around the site has received more than 1,800 mm (71 in) of rain per year since AD 1450, which

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936-507: A third entrance phase was added to better manage tourism and reduce site degradation. In 2024, the daily visitor limit was officially increased to 4,500, with up to 5,600 permitted during peak season. In May 2012, UNESCO urged additional protection measures for the site's buffer zone, especially due to the rapid growth in the nearby town of Aguas Calientes . Tourist deaths at Machu Picchu from altitude sickness , floods, and accidents have led to criticism of UNESCO for allowing visits despite

1014-578: Is a carved statue with a vaulted interior and carved drawings. It was used for rites or sacrifices. The Guardhouse is a three-sided building, with one of its long sides opening onto the Terrace of the Ceremonial Rock. The three-sided style of Inca architecture is known as the wayrona style. In 2005 and 2009, the University of Arkansas made detailed laser scans of the entire site and of

1092-791: Is about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) wide on average. Side valleys and agricultural terraces ( andenes ) expand the cultivatable area. The valley was formed by the Urubamba river, also known as the Vilcanota River, Willkanuta River ( Aymara , "house of the sun") or Willkamayu ( Quechua ). The latter, in Quechua, the still spoken lingua franca of the Inca Empire, means the sacred river . It is fed by numerous tributaries which descend through adjoining valleys and gorges and contains numerous archaeological remains and villages. The Sacred Valley

1170-478: Is also a luxury hotel on the mountain, near the ruins. Machu Picchu is officially twinned with Haworth , West Yorkshire in the United Kingdom, as well as Fukushima and Ōtama , Japan, Petra , Jordan, Medley , United States, and Tinum , Mexico. Machu Picchu is both a cultural and natural UNESCO World Heritage Site . Since Hiram Bingham's expedition, growing numbers of tourists have visited

1248-488: Is also habitat for more than 420 bird species, notably the cock-of-the-rock and the Andean condor . The surrounding environment features a variety of tree species such as alder, white cedar, husk, and laurel. In 1983, UNESCO designated Machu Picchu a World Heritage Site , describing it as "a masterpiece of art, urbanism, architecture and engineering" and "a unique testimony" of the Inca Civilization. Along

1326-512: Is an example of a stone that draws attention to the horizon of the mountain range. [REDACTED] Media related to Sacred Valley at Wikimedia Commons [REDACTED] Sacred Valley of the Incas travel guide from Wikivoyage Machu Picchu Machu Picchu is a 15th-century Inca citadel located in the Eastern Cordillera of southern Peru on a mountain ridge at 2,430 meters (7,970 ft). Often referred to as

1404-401: Is characterized by steep slopes, dense vegetation, and significant rainfall, contributing to high humidity levels of 80–90%. The area is also frequently enveloped in cloud cover , typical of a cloud forest environment. The site is roughly divided into an urban sector and an agricultural sector, with the former divided between an upper town and a lower town. The temples are in the upper town,

1482-576: Is known that many sacrifices were never given a proper burial, and their skeletal remains succumbed to the elements. However, there is evidence that retainers were sacrificed to accompany a deceased noble in the afterlife. Animal, liquid and dirt sacrifices to the gods were more common and were made at the Altar of the Condor. The tradition is upheld by members of the New Age Andean religion . In

1560-549: Is literally an instrument or place to "tie up the sun", often expressed in English as "The Hitching Post of the Sun". The Inca believed the stone held the Sun in its place along its annual path in the sky. The stone is situated at 13°9'48" S. At midday on 11 November and 30 January, the Sun is situated almost exactly above the pillar, casting no shadow. On 21 June, the stone casts the longest shadow on its southern side, and on 21 December

1638-518: Is possible that most of its inhabitants died from smallpox introduced by travelers before the Spanish conquistadors even arrived in the area. During its use as an estate, it is estimated that about 750 people lived there, with most serving as support staff ( yanaconas , yana) who lived there permanently. Though the estate belonged to Pachacutec, religious specialists and temporary specialized workers ( mayocs ) lived there as well, most likely for

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1716-518: 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 . It

1794-471: The Battle of Ollantaytambo against a Spanish army headed by Hernando Pizarro . Nevertheless, Manco soon withdrew from the Sacred Valley and the area came under the control of the Spanish colonialists. Oral histories in the Quechua language suggest that the ancient Inca married Pachamama (Mother Earth) and produced human offspring. The Incas are renowned for their precision in stone masonry. The architecture

1872-533: The Mit'a ) or served in the Inca military . Animals are also suspected to have been brought 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

1950-462: The Puna region 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, as it was common throughout the Inca Empire to use them for sacrifices and meat. 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

2028-536: The Southern Hemisphere , 13.111 degrees south of the equator . It is 80 kilometers (50 miles) northwest of Cusco , on the crest of the mountain Machu Picchu, located about 2,430 meters (7,970 feet) above mean sea level , over 1,000 meters (3,300 ft) lower than Cusco, which has an elevation of 3,400 meters (11,200 ft). As such, it had a milder climate than the Inca capital. It is one of

2106-574: The lintels of the doors, as well the principal as the ordinary ones, being of marble and elaborately carved. Over the centuries, the surrounding jungle overgrew the site, and few outside the immediate area knew of its existence. The site may have been re-discovered and plundered in 1867 by a German businessman, Augusto Berns  [ de ] . Some evidence indicates that the German engineer J. M. von Hassel arrived earlier. Maps show references to Machu Picchu as early as 1874. A 1904 atlas designated

2184-704: The "Lost City of the Incas", it is the most familiar icon of the Inca Empire . It is located in the Machupicchu District within the Urubamba Province above the Sacred Valley , which is 80 kilometers (50 mi) northwest of the city of Cusco . The Urubamba River flows past it, cutting through the Cordillera and creating a canyon with a subtropical mountain climate. The Inca civilization had no written language and following

2262-586: The Augustinians. In particular, Ramos thought Vitcos was "near a great white rock over a spring of fresh water." Back in Cusco again, Bingham asked planters about the places mentioned by Calancha, particularly along the Urubamba River. According to Bingham, "one old prospector said there were interesting ruins at Machu Picchu," though his statements "were given no importance by the leading citizens." Only later did Bingham learn that Charles Wiener had also heard of

2340-637: The Incas fled after the Spanish drove them from Vitcos. Bingham returned to Machu Picchu in 1912 under the sponsorship of Yale University and National Geographic and with the full support of Peruvian President Augusto Leguia . The expedition undertook a four-month clearing of the site with local labor, which was expedited with the support of the Prefect of Cusco. Excavation started in 1912 with further excavation undertaken in 1914 and 1915. Bingham focused on Machu Picchu because of its fine Inca stonework and well-preserved nature, which had lain undisturbed since

2418-512: The Incas, the location of the city was a military secret, and its deep precipices and steep mountains provided natural defenses. The Inca Bridge , an Inca grass rope bridge , across the Urubamba River in the Pongo de Mainique , provided a secret entrance for the Inca army. Another Inca bridge was built to the west of Machu Picchu, the tree-trunk bridge, at a location where a gap occurs in the cliff that measures 6 meters (20 ft). The city sits in

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2496-704: The Pan-American Scientific Congress in Santiago , he travelled through Peru and was invited to explore the Inca ruins at Choqquequirau in the Apurímac Valley . He organized the 1911 Yale Peruvian Expedition in part to search for the Inca capital, which was thought to be the city of Vitcos . He consulted Carlos Romero, one of the chief historians in Lima who showed him helpful references and Father Antonio de la Calancha 's Chronicle of

2574-586: The Sacred Valley from 500 to 900 CE. The Killke civilization then flourished in the Sacred Valley from 900 until it was obsorbed to the Incan Empire in 1420. The Incan Empire ruled this area for little more than 100 years until the arrival of the Spanish . The valley, running generally west to east, is understood to include everything along the Urubamba River between the town and Inca ruins at Písac and Machu Picchu, 100 kilometres (62 mi) distant. The Sacred Valley has elevations above sea level along

2652-460: The Sacred Valley to the Inca, in addition to its proximity to Cusco, was probably that it was lower in elevation and therefore warmer than any other nearby area. The lower elevation permitted maize to be grown in the Sacred Valley. Maize was a prestige crop for the Incas, especially to make chicha , a fermented maize drink the Incas and their subjects consumed in large quantities at their many ceremonial feasts and religious festivals. Chicha has had

2730-515: The Three Windows . The Popular District, or Residential District, is the place where the lower-class people lived. It includes storage buildings and simple houses. The royalty area, a sector for the nobility , is a group of houses located in rows over a slope; the residence of the amautas (wise people) was characterized by its reddish walls, and the zone of the ñustas (princesses) had trapezoid -shaped rooms. The Monumental Mausoleum

2808-439: The Urubamba river, below the ruins, surrounding the train line "street", is the town of Machu Picchu, also known as Aguas Calientes (hot springs), with a post office, a train station, hotels, and other services for the many tourists. The station, called Puente Ruinas (the bridge to the ruins) is the end of the line for the tren de turismo , the tourist train, which arrives every morning from Cusco and returns every afternoon. There

2886-598: The accusations, claiming that the excavation harmed the site and deprived local archaeologists of knowledge about their own history. Landowners began to demand rent from the excavators. By the time Bingham and his team left Machu Picchu, locals had formed coalitions to defend their ownership of Machu Picchu and its cultural remains, while Bingham claimed the artifacts ought to be studied by experts in American institutions. In 1981, Peru declared an area of 325.92 square kilometers (125.84 sq mi) surrounding Machu Picchu

2964-493: The area. UNESCO considered including Machu Picchu on its List of World Heritage in Danger in 2017, but ultimately decided against it. Efforts to manage the impact of tourism have included various measures over the years. In the 1980s, a rock from Machu Picchu's central plaza was moved to create a helicopter landing zone, a practice which was later stopped. In 2006, the company Helicusco sought approval for tourist flights over

3042-475: The constellations Llamacnawin, Llama, Unallamacha, Machacuay, and the star Pachapacariq Chaska ( Canopus ). The Intihuatana stone is a ritual stone which was used by the Incas. The stone is designed to point directly at the Sun during the winter solstice . The name of the stone (perhaps coined by Bingham) derives from Quechua language: inti means "sun", and wata- , "to tie, hitch (up)". The suffix -na derives nouns for tools or places. Hence Intihuatana

3120-448: The construction of Machu Picchu. Still visible are places where the terraces were shifted by landslides and then stabilized by the Inca as they continued to build around the area. The terraces also enabled irrigation, increasing crop yields, with maize likely being the main crop due to its ceremonial importance, alongside possible cultivation of potatoes. However, terrace farming area makes up only about 4.9 ha (12 acres) of land, and

3198-411: The dead. Much of the farming done at Machu Picchu was done on its hundreds of andenes (man-made terraces). These terraces were a work of considerable engineering, built to ensure good drainage and soil fertility while also protecting the mountain itself from erosion and landslides. However, the terraces were not perfect, as studies of the land show that there were landslides that happened during

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3276-511: The estate of the emperor Huayna Capac (1493–1527) is in the town of Urubamba . Most archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu was built as an estate for Pachacuti. Agricultural terraces, called andenes, were built up hillsides flanking the valley floor and are today the most visible and widespread signs of the Inca civilization in the Sacred Valley. In 1537, the Inca Emperor Manco Inca Yupanqui fought and won

3354-447: 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 leading theory is that Machu Picchu was a private city for Incan royalty. The names of the buildings, their supposed uses, and their inhabitants, are

3432-511: 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. 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 . Incan individuals who had arthritis and bone fractures were typically those who performed heavy physical labor (such as

3510-446: The late 16th century, Spaniards who had recently gained control of the area documented that indigenous individuals mentioned returning to "Huayna Picchu", the name that is believed to be originally given to the site by locals. The Spanish conquistador Baltasar de Ocampo had notes of a visit during the end of the 16th century to a mountain fortress called Pitcos with sumptuous and majestic buildings, erected with great skill and art, all

3588-598: The most important archaeological sites in South America, one of the most visited tourist attractions in Latin America and the most visited in Peru. Machu Picchu is situated above a bow of the Urubamba River , which surrounds the site on three sides, where cliffs drop vertically for 450 meters (1,480 ft) to the river at their base. The area is subject to morning mists rising from the river. When inhabited by

3666-492: The mountains back to Cusco, one through the Sun Gate , and the other across the Inca bridge. Both could have been blocked easily, should invaders have approached along them. Machu Picchu and other sites in the area are built over earthquake faults . According to research conducted in 2019, this may not be a coincidence: "[o]ne simple answer, researchers now suggest, is that that's [earthquake faults] where building materials for

3744-458: The preservation, management, and study of Machu Picchu. During the 2022–2023 Peruvian protests , routes to Machu Picchu were blocked, trapping thousands of tourists and leading to a government airlift of the stranded visitors. Due to these disruptions, the Ministry of Culture closed the site indefinitely on January 22, 2023, and it was reopened on February 15, 2023. Machu Picchu lies in

3822-668: 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 . From 1929 to 1971, Machu Picchu underwent extensive restoration and conservation work, including structural stabilization and artifact excavation, driven by government initiatives and research expeditions. Most recent archaeologists believe that Machu Picchu

3900-717: The research, the association of the name Machu Picchu with the ruins likely began with American explorer Hiram Bingham 's 1911 publications, a conclusion supported by Bingham’s field notes, early maps, and historical documents. Machu Picchu was previously believed (by Richard L. Burger , professor of anthropology at Yale University ) to have been built in the 1450s. 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. Construction appears to date from two great Inca rulers, Pachacutec Inca Yupanqui (1438–1471) and Túpac Inca Yupanqui (1472–1493). A consensus among archaeologists

3978-406: The ridge to the main ruins. The ruins were mostly covered with vegetation except for the cleared agricultural terraces and clearings used by the farmers as vegetable gardens. Because of the vegetation, Bingham was not able to observe the full extent of the site. He took preliminary notes, measurements, and photographs, noting the fine quality of Inca stonework of several principal buildings. Bingham

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4056-441: The river ranging from 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) at Pisac to 2,050 metres (6,730 ft) at the Urubamba River below the citadel of Machu Picchu. On both sides of the river, the mountains rise to much higher elevations, especially to the north where two prominent mountains overlook the valley: Sahuasiray , 5,818 metres (19,088 ft) and Veronica , 5,893 metres (19,334 ft) in elevation. The intensely cultivated valley floor

4134-622: The rock platform points out the Solstice Window to within 2' of the 15th century June solstice rising Sun. For comparison, the angular diameter of the Sun is 32'. The Inca constellation Qullca, storehouse, can be viewed out the Qullqa Window at sunset during the 15th-century June Solstice, hence the window's name. At the same time, the Pleaides are at the opposite end of the sky. Also seen through this window on this night are

4212-441: The ruins at Huayna Picchu and Machu Picchu, but was unable to reach them. Armed with this information, Bingham's expedition went down the Urubamba River . En route, Bingham asked local people to show them Inca ruins, especially any place described as having a white rock over a spring. At Mandor Pampa, Bingham asked farmer and innkeeper Melchor Arteaga if he knew of any nearby ruins. Arteaga said he knew of excellent ruins on

4290-461: The ruins at the top of the adjacent Huayna Picchu mountain. The scan data is available online for research purposes. This semicircular temple is built on the same rock overlying Bingham's "Royal Mausoleum", and is similar to the Temple of the Sun found in Cusco and the one found in Pisac , in having what Bingham described as a " parabolic enclosure wall". The stonework is of ashlar quality. Within

4368-849: The ruler's well-being and enjoyment. During the harsher season , staffing was reduced to a few hundred servants and a few religious specialists focused on maintenance alone. Studies show that, according to their skeletal remains, most people who lived there were immigrants from diverse backgrounds. They lacked the chemical markers and osteological markers 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. These diets are composed of varying levels of maize , potatoes , grains , legumes , and fish , but

4446-540: The site as Huayna Picchu. In 1911 American historian and explorer Hiram Bingham traveled the region looking for the lost capital of the Neo-Inca state (later established to be Vilcabamba ), established by Manco Inca after the Spanish conquest, and was led to Machu Picchu by a villager, Melchor Arteaga. Bingham found the name of the Peruvian explorer Agustín Lizárraga and the date 1902 written in charcoal on one of

4524-400: The site each year, with numbers exceeding 1.5 million in 2019. As Peru's most visited tourist attraction, and a major revenue generator, it is continually exposed to economic and commercial forces. In the late 1990s, the Peruvian government granted concessions to allow the construction of a cable car and a luxury hotel, including a tourist complex with boutiques and restaurants and a bridge to

4602-473: The site was abandoned. None of Bingham's several hypotheses explaining the site have since held up. During his studies, he carried various artifacts back to Yale. One prominent artifact was a set of 15th-century, ceremonial Incan knives made from bismuth bronze ; they are the earliest known artifact containing this alloy. Although local institutions initially welcomed the exploration, they soon accused Bingham of legal and cultural malpractice. Rumors arose that

4680-695: The site's high safety risks. The trend of nude tourism in 2014 also led to increased surveillance by Peru's Ministry of Culture to end the practice. In recognition of efforts to manage and protect the site, Fernando Astete, who served as Chief of the National Archaeological Park of Machu Picchu from 1994 to 2019, was honored with the "Personalidad Meritoria de la Cultura" award by the Ministry of Culture of Peru in January 2020. This award acknowledged his extensive contributions to

4758-489: The site, but the license was soon rescinded. In January 2010, severe flooding caused by El Niño trapped over 4,000 people and disrupted access to Machu Picchu, leading to its temporary closure. The site reopened on April 1, 2010. To further address tourism's impact, stricter entrance regulations were introduced in July 2011, limiting the number of daily visitors to 2,500 per day to the citadel and 400 to Huayna Picchu. In 2018,

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4836-496: The site. These plans faced widespread protests, with critics arguing that the government had failed to conduct a proper environmental impact survey, as requested by the National Institute of Natural Resources , which warned of potential harm to the ecosystem. In 2018, plans were restarted to again construct a cable car to encourage Peruvians to visit Machu Picchu and boost domestic tourism. A no-fly zone exists above

4914-464: The site. The eastern section of the city was probably residential. The western, separated by the square, was for religious and ceremonial purposes. This section contains the Torreón , the massive tower which may have been used as an observatory . Located in the urban sector are the primary archaeological treasures and tourist attractions: the Intihuatana , the Temple of the Sun and the Temple of

4992-431: The site—large amounts of already fractured rock—were readily available." Between the valley floor and the altitudinal zone of the Inca citadel, ranging from 2,200 metres (7,200 ft) to 2,500 metres (8,200 ft) meters above sea level, the climate is warm and humid, with an average annual precipitation of 2,010 millimetres (79 in) and an annual mean temperature of approximately 18 °C (64 °F). The site

5070-652: The smaller peak of the same name. Machu Picchu was declared a Peruvian Historic Sanctuary in 1982 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 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" and wayna means "young", while pikchu refers to

5148-445: The story, Lost City of the Incas (1952), Bingham claimed to have found the site himself. Though Bingham was not the first to visit the ruins, he was considered the scientific discoverer who brought Machu Picchu to international attention. Bingham organized another expedition in 1912 to undertake major clearing and excavation. Bingham was a lecturer at Yale University , although not a trained archaeologist. In 1909, returning from

5226-501: The team was stealing artifacts and smuggling them out of Peru through Bolivia . In fact, Bingham removed many artifacts, but openly and legally; they were deposited in the Yale University Museum. Bingham was abiding by the 1852 Civil Code of Peru; the code stated that "archaeological finds generally belonged to the discoverer, except when they had been discovered on private land" (Batievsky 100). Local press perpetuated

5304-414: The temple is a 1.2 m by 2.7 m rock platform, smooth on top except for a small platform on its southwest quadrant. A "Serpent's Door" faces 340°, or just west of north, opening onto a series of 16 pools, and affording a view of Huayna Picchu. The temple also has two trapezoidal windows, one facing 65°, called the "Solstice Window", and the other facing 132°, called the " Qullqa Window". The northwest edge of

5382-443: The top of Huayna Picchu. The next day, 24 July, Arteaga led Bingham and Sergeant Carrasco across the river on a log bridge and up the Machu Picchu site. At the top of the mountain, they came across a small hut occupied by a couple of Quechua people, Richard and Alvarez, who were farming some of the original Machu Picchu agricultural terraces that they had cleared four years earlier. Alvarez's 11-year-old son, Pablito, led Bingham along

5460-481: The walls of the Temple of the Three Windows. Initially disappointed, he documented in his pocket field journal: "Agustín Lizárraga is discoverer of Machu Picchu and lives at San Miguel Bridge just before passing." However, while Bingham initially acknowledged Lizárraga as the discoverer in his early writings and speeches, including Inca Land (1922), he gradually downplayed Lizárraga's role until, in his final version of

5538-424: The warehouses in the lower. The architecture is adapted to the mountains. Approximately 200 buildings are arranged on wide parallel terraces around an east–west central square. The various compounds, called kanchas , are long and narrow in order to exploit the terrain. Sophisticated channeling systems provided irrigation for the fields. Stone stairways set in the walls allowed access to the different levels across

5616-434: The warmest month, to 12.2 °C (54.0 °F) in July, the coldest month. The Incas built extensive irrigation works throughout the valley to counter deficiencies and seasonality in precipitation. The early Incas lived in the Cusco area. By conquest or diplomacy, during the period 1000 to 1400 CE, the Inca achieved administrative control over the various ethnic groups living in or near the Sacred Valley. The attraction of

5694-463: Was a means of bringing order to untamed areas and the people of the Andes region. Machu Picchu, located in the Sacred Valley, is an example of the Incas adapting building strategies that acknowledge the topography of the area. While other Pre-Columbian cultures constructed man-made mountains, the Incas emphasized the natural forms of the topography around them. The Sacred Rock, located in the Sacred Valley,

5772-412: Was constructed as an estate for the Inca emperor Pachacuti (1438–1472). The Inca 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. Historical research published in 2022 claims that the site was probably called Huayna Picchu by the Inca people themselves, as it exists on

5850-421: Was created by an emperor it continued to be owned by descendants of the emperor after his death. The estate of the emperor Yawar Waqaq (c. 1380) was located at Paullu and Lamay (a few kilometers downstream from Pisac); Huchuy Qosqo , the estate of the emperor Viracocha Inca (c. 1410–1438), overlooks the Sacred Valley; the estate of Pachacuti (1438–1471) was at Pisac, and the sparse ruins of Quispiguanca ,

5928-416: Was more than that needed to support crop growth. Because of the ample rainfall at Machu Picchu, it was found that irrigation was not usually needed for the terraces. The terraces received so much rain that they were built by Incan engineers specifically to allow for drainage of excess water. Excavation and soil analyses done by Kenneth Wright in the 1990s showed that the terraces were built in layers, with

6006-574: Was the most important area for maize production in the heartland of the Inca Empire and access through the valley to tropical areas facilitated the import of products such as coca leaf and chile peppers to Cuzco. The climate of Urubamba is typical of the valley. Precipitation, concentrated in October through April, totals 527 millimetres (20.7 in) annually and monthly average temperatures range between 15.4 °C (59.7 °F) in November,

6084-504: Was unsure about the original purpose of the ruins, but concluded there was no indication that it matched the description of Vitcos. The expedition continued down the Urubamba and up the Vilcabamba Rivers examining all the ruins they could find. Guided by locals, Bingham rediscovered and correctly identified the site of the old Inca capital, Vitcos (then called Rosaspata), and the nearby temple of Chuquipalta . He then crossed

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