Most people visiting Peru on vacation are headed for the ruins of Machu Picchu (Pronounce: PEEK-chu) in the Sacred Valley. The former city of the Inca empire is in the center of the southern half of modern day Peru. It is believed the settlement was constructed largely in the 1400s, but was abandoned about 100 years later when the Spanish claimed control of the region.
Machu Picchu remained largely unknown until re-discovered by American historian Hiram Bingham in 1911.
During the middle to late 1900s it became a tourist attraction and remains a major driver of Peru's tourism economy. It has been recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Most people reach the citadel through the town of Cusco. From there they either hike the Inca Trail for up to five days to reach the ruins or take a three hour train ride. I took the train. Only 2,500 visitors are allowed per day so it is best to reserve your train ride and entry ticket at least a week in advance. Inca Trail hikers often arrive early in the morning of their final day and are allowed to enter before the gates open to the main groupings of tourists who are bussed in from the nearby town.
Machu Picchu is the most well-known site constructed by the Incas, but throughout central Peru there are others. About an hour outside of Cusco is a site known as Moray.
The archeological evidence suggests the location was used as an agricultural experiment station. The descending steps of the circular planting areas create micro-climates that allowed the Inca to grow crops - like coffee - that would not normally grow in this part of Peru. The farmers who made use of the location were able to transplant and grow non-indigenous plants by hauling in native soils from other parts of the region.
It is helpful to visit Moray before Machu Picchu so you can introduce yourself to the genius of Inca society. Most of the literature you will find about Machu Picchu suggests it was built as a retreat for Inca kings, but the guide I had for my tour says current theories hold it was more like a university for the elite. This conclusion is based on evidence that suggests the inhabitants of the site only stayed for a few years at a time and then left to be replaced by a new set of residents.
Some of those residents were there to study, but many others would have been there to work on construction of the campus. There are sections of the ruins that were used to house the elites and another section housed laborers.
According to what we think we know, Inca society did not have an economic system based on currency and therefore people did not pay taxes through the sharing of a portion of their wages with the government. Instead, everyone was required to work for some period of time on behalf of the community. The workers who constructed the stone walls of Machu Picchu would have been paying their taxes through their labor and would have been allowed to leave once their public debt was paid.
The construction is all stone mined from the Andes Mountains that surround the complex. There was no cement used. The stones are all cut to fit closely together. Large stones were moved into place by rolling them across the surface of smaller stones.
In the parts of the complex which housed elites the stone is smooth and tightly fitted together. In the rest of the complex, where the workers lived, the masonry is less finished and more reminiscent of a field stone wall.
The roofs of all the buildings would have been covered with straw thatching. In the center of the main buildings there are grass areas used as a town square and for entertainment. On the perimeter there are agricultural steps similar to those found in Moray.
It is not easy today, and it would be even harder to reach Machu Picchu back when it was populated, so visitors often ask: Why here? Why was so much effort made to build this special settlement in this spot high in the Andes?
The best answers seem to be that the Incas who settled the area found water in this location and that the high points around the settlement served well for communication and security.
As is the case with many well known tourist attractions there are huge crowds daily at Machu Picchu. It is hard to imagine a photograph that has not been taken. It is hard to walk more than a few feet without running into someone taking a selfie. On the other hand, you will not be disappointed by what you find here. The crowds are well-controlled. Do not let the fear of a Disneyland experience keep you away.
The ancient city is a sprawling place and the mountains surrounding the complex are just as impressive. The day I was there clouds were hugging the surrounding mountain range making for a spectacular scene. The only way to truly appreciate the size and complexity of Machu Picchu is to view it first hand.
© Dean Pagani 2020
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© Dean Pagani 2020