Articles tagged with: Inca
Tupac Amaru-Inca Renaissance
The eighteenth century brought the recovery of the local native population that saw its numbers plunge from disease during the . Some curacas achieved important social and economic positions in …
Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu was the most magnificent community the Incas built, its name means “Old Mountain” in Quechua. It is believed that Machu Picchu was built around AD1460 by Inca Pachacutec. In 1983 UNESCO added Machu Picchu to its list of World Heritage Sites. Machu Picchu was re discovered in 1911 by HIram Bingham, an American explorer who was searching for Vilcabamba, the last resting place of the Incas. His project was funded by Yale University and National Geographic Society.
Why was Machu Picchu built?
The most common conclusion from experts on Inca history and archaeologists is that it was built first and foremost as a retreat for the Inca and his family to worship natural resources, deities and specially the Sun, Inti. In reality things do not have one single purpose and Machu Picchu had a multiplicity of uses and significance.
The city was inhabited for just over one hundred years and no one knows for sure why the Incas abandoned such a magnificent city. It is believed that the civil war between the brothers Atahualpa and Huascar had interrupted the food supply to Machu Picchu. Another possibility is that it was affected by an epidemic that killed its residents.
Machu Picchu Archaeological Sites
As a sacred place a lot of planning was put into its construction; priests, architects and engineers studied how the light of the sun and the moon radiated to each mountain and how the stars aligned to each building. Meticulous architectural and engineering planning was required in order to meet religious standards. Lets not forget that Machu Picchu is located in semi tropical land or highland jungle where rain can be intense and earthquakes frequent. Inca engineers had the knowledge to erect anti seismic buildings and ensure at the same time that the land would not erode.
Sectors in Machu Picchu
Machu Picchu is divided into two sectors, at the northern part was the urban sector and at the southern the agricultural sector. These sectors were constructed on a natural division …
Relatives of the Camel
Llamas are relatives of the camel family. Ancient people living in the Andes tamed llamas about 5,000 years ago, since then they have become important animals in Peru. The llamas had an important place in the Inca culture, they were used as transportation, their wool was used for clothing and blankets and their meat for food. Local indigenous people use them the same way as the Incas did.
Discovering Peru and the Inca Civilization
Peru is the third largest country in South America after Brazil and Argentina. It shares its border with Ecuador and Colombia on the north, on the east with Brazil, on …
