View from Machu Picchu
Every civilization searches for meaning. That meaning is not always obvious. It is often a mystery. The Incan civilization is no different. What meaning they derived is at the heart of the mystery of Machu Picchu.
Building the citadel of Machu Picchu (Peru) must have given the Inca meaning. This was evident in the herculean effort required. 30 years of building. Thousands of slaves. Hundreds of stone cutters.
It is no coincidence that this archeological site has been designated one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
Machu Picchu (“old mountain” in Quechua the Incan language) is itself a mystery. The clouds help.
Machu Picchu was built by the Inca at such heights that it is literally in the clouds
Perched on a mountain ridge it is enveloped in mystical clouds with jaw dropping views of the green valley below.
View of the Urubamba River
The mystery of Machu Picchu begins with a train ride. From the town of Ollantaytambo you will take a train, with a glass top, through winding rivers and lush farms. The ride will whet your appetite for what is to come.
Train to Machu Picchu is an experience in itself
But there is more. Three mysteries in particular gnawed at me when I visited the site.
First, is the mystery of the ancient Incan civilization which built this citadel. Who were they?
Second, is the mystery of the technology used to build this monument to their empire. They did not have a written language and had not invented the wheel. How did they build Machu Picchu?
Third, is the mystery of how this ancient site was rediscovered in modern times by Hiram Bingham in 1911. How did he know to search for it if the Spanish, who lived there, didn’t know about it?
Mystery of Machu Picchu #1 - Who Were the Incas?
We grow up hearing about many great world civilizations. Indus Valley in ancient India. Mesopotamia in Iraq. The Athenian city-states of Greece. For most of us, we’ve heard little about the civilizations of pre-Columbian America.
In fact, the Americas had several early civilizations. For example, the Canadian Inuit, Mexican Aztec, Central American Maya and American Clovis (“Mound”) Civilizations.
The Mayans were the longest living of these civilizations. The largest empire, however, belonged to the Inca. During the relatively short period (1200 – 1525 CE) of its existence, the Incan Empire had many world-class achievements. One of them was building the iconic mountain top royal retreat called Machu Picchu.
Over a few generations the Inca Empire extended over 300,000 miles [FN 1]. That included large parts of modern-day Ecuador, Peru, and Chile.
It contained 12 million people, at its peak, speaking 20+ languages [FN 2].
One of the 20 Languages Spoken was "Aymara" by the Non-Incan People of Lake Titicaca
One of the greatest achievements of the Inca – Machu Picchu - remained hidden from the Spanish during the entire period of Spanish rule.
It therefore evaded the ravages of conquest depicted in this mural found on the streets of Cusco.
Street mural depicting the slaughter of Inca by Spanish conquistadors
Mystery of Machu Picchu #2 – Technology
There were three technological advantages which propelled the Incas to build the largest of the ancient civilizations of the Americas.
Agricultural Technology
The Inca adapted to a period of global warming to increase agricultural productivity.
Between 1150 and 1300 temperatures in the Andes started to markedly rise [FN 3]. It is the response to the global warming which gave the Inca a competitive advantage.
They got more land to farm by moving higher up the slopes of the Andes to do their farming on new virginal land.
Their response to the slope of the higher elevation was to build tiers of agricultural terraces.
Tiered agricultural terraces - Specialty of the Inca
The new virginal lands generated record corn harvests. These above-average yields created agricultural "surpluses." [FN 4].
These surpluses in turn allowed for greater productivity through specialization. This is because fewer people were necessary to farm so they were freed up to specialize in building roads, maintaining irrigation systems, and supplying a standing army.
Now they could acquire more resources the old-fashioned way – by stealing it through conquest. Specifically, they took by force, land, commodities, and slaves from other Andean empires.
Taming Llamas
What we know is that Cusco (Peru) was the capital of the Incan Empire. This high-altitude imperial capital sits atop the very scenic Sacred Valley.
Cusco
Sacred Valley
This began circa 1400 when Incan kings moved beyond the land locked region of the Sacred Valley and defeated the Chimu Empire to gain access to the coast.
By 1532 the Incan Empire had even extended eastward into the Amazon Basin [source].
Since the Inca did not have a hieroglyphic written language (as the Maya did), the story of their kings – who lead the conquests – is found in oral histories passed down from one generation to another. You can find elders in villages today who know these oral histories by memory.
One of these kings, however, stands out: Pachacutec.
Pachacutec Inca was an Incan king who extended the empire south.
The legend of Pachacutec is important to the descendants of the Inca to this day. He is held in such esteem that his statute stands imposingly in the town of Ollantaytambo.
Statue of King Pachacutec, Ollantayambo
His greatest conquest was the Lake Titicaca basin. This region contained not only fertile soil, gold and silver; it also contained flocks of Alpacas and Llamas providing transportation, food and clothing for the troops.
Llamas are indigenous to the Lake Ticicaca basin
Llamas, in particular, were soon recognized as what they were: strategic military assets. They could be used as “jeeps” to carry the weapons of war. This allowed the projection of Pachacutec’s power far and wide.
In some ways Pachacutec never died. As per Incan tradition, kings and commoners lived on after death – in the form of ancestor worship. The kings were mummified in tombs to make this worship easier.
Regular villagers saved the expense of mummification. They worshiped their ancestors by keeping the skulls of their ancestors on their shelves. They still do.
During my trip in the Sacred Valley, near Lake Ticicaca, I visited one such display. In a simple hut of a villager lay a skull on the cupboard. You can see it in the picture below.
Villagers of the Sacred Valley practice ancestor worship by keeping the skulls of their ancestors on the shelf
Engineering
In order to grow in size the Incan Empire had to develop ways to "connect" to other civilizations and tribes.
By the time the Spanish invaded in 1532, the Inca Empire was a cosmopolitan stew held together by vague loyalties. The Incas ruled 12 million people speaking 20 languages.
Particularly impressive was the sophistication of their engineering skill.
Take Machu Picchu.
There is the mystery to the technology used to build this monument to their empire. They did not have a written language and had not invented the wheel. How did they build Machu Picchu?
Like most of their cities, the Inca built Machu Picchu in stone.
Their mastery in stone cutting is one of the answers to the mystery of how they constructed Machu Picchu. The Inca developed a technique called “idquo ashlar” to cut the stones so precisely that walls did not require mortar.
Original walls built by the Inca using techniques which did not require mortar to bind the stones together
Cutting stone for walls was not the only technology the Inca were known for. They are also known for building networks of roads to connect their conquered territories. This not only facilitated trade; it also facilitated a common identity amongst the constituents of the Incan empire.
Another answer to the mystery of Machu Picchu’s construction is what they substituted for the wheel. To haul the stones, they used slave labor (usually captives from the people they conquered) to roll the stones on tree trunks [source].
Using this method, they were able to move stones some of which weighed over 50 tons [source]
The combination of the llamas and “idquo ashlar” allowed them to not only conquer a vast territory; it also allowed them to build an extensive network of roads to bind this empire together.
In 1528, Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro graced the Incan empire with his presence.
They soon after kidnapped and imprisoned the Incan king, Atahuallpa, and installed a puppet king (a prince of the royal court) Manco Inca Yupanqui.
The puppet it turns out had a spine. When the Spanish took Incan women as mistresses and wives, Manco Inca fled to the jungle city of Vilacabamba to launch a guerilla campaign.
During this prolonged cat and mouse game, the engineering achievements of the Inca (network of roads, grain storage silos, temples) fell into disrepair. It was almost like the Spaniards were erasing any signs that the Incan empire existed.
Mystery of Machu Picchu #3 – Rediscovery
If you are in the business of archeological mysteries, Machu Picchu is a good place to begin.
This might be why the mountain top retreat held a special mystique for Hiram Bingham III. He was an Assistant Professor of Latin American history at Yale University.
On July 24, 1911 he reached the summit of this untouched glory of the Incan Empire [source]. As far as we know, he was the first person of European ancestry to view the lost city.
Bingham described his journey in the April 1913 edition of National Geographic Magazine.
Sitting 2,000 feet above the Urubamba River, it allegedly led Hiram Bingham to define the moment any visitor can empathize with: " It fairly took my breath away."
View from Machu Picchu
According to Bingham’s own recounting, he was directed to the site by two farmers who lived on the mountain to avoid taxes [FN 5].
He scientifically mapped out the area and cleared the brush to re-claim it.
Like any good plunderer, he shipped thousands of artifacts home. In this case to Yale University's Peabody Museum. After all, his expedition was funded in large part by Yale University.
That is, invaluable artifacts such as clay pots used by slaves, bronze mirrors used by nobility and a shawl pin adorned with birds.
Perhaps history does arc towards justice, however. In 2010, Yale University resolved a legal dispute with the Peruvian Government by agreeing to return the pilfered loot.
The mystery of the "lost city" leads one to surmise exactly what Bingham had stumbled upon. A summer retreat for the Incan aristocracy? A religious ceremonial site? To this day we have conflicting hints but do not know with certainty.
Conclusion
The silk road was the internet of the day. Not being on it had technological consequences. The Inca were not on the silk road. Would they have developed hieroglyphics and the wheel if they were connected to the rest of the world? We’ll never know.
Despite the lack of exchange of ideas, which a connection with the rest of the world would have created, the Inca managed achievement independently in agriculture and engineering.
They also had political institutions which allowed for the integration of a vast multilingual and multiethnic empire.
One can’t really understand Machu Picchu without this context. However, despite this understanding there are mysteries which remain. One is the purpose for which Machu Picchu was built.
We don’t know the purpose. In fact, we don’t know what we don’t know. In that, Machu Picchu has something in common with other great archeological mysteries around the world.
Some mysteries never get solved.
Lovely post. Have heard about a hiking trail that one can take instead of the train. Why did you not mention that in your article?
The reason I didn’t mention the hiking trail is that I didn’t experience it first hand. In addition, this site is not the typical “where to eat and stay” travel site. However, there are plenty of those kinds of sites. Many of them are very good. One of my favorites is theblondeabroad.com. They have a great post on the Inca Trail you reference: https://www.theblondeabroad.com/inca-trail-to-machu-picchu-peru/
This brought back so many memories. My husband, Ben, and I went to MP for our honeymoon. Still remember the train ride up. We stayed at the hotel at the base. Thanks for allowing me to relive one of the happiest times of my life. Ben passed away a year ago after a long battle with cancer. But what I have is the memories. This post evoked some of those memories.
Sorry for your loss Jane. You describe the power of travel. The shared memories you have with Ben will live on. Thank you for sharing your reminiscences with our community.
I lov yor bloggs. Me liv in smal town Chittagong, Bangladesh. No monee travel. Yu blogg let me travel,
Abdulla, you live in a very green and scenic place. You are lucky. However, letting people like you travel from their computer screens is exactly why this blog was created. Thereby travel doesn’t have to be for those with money. Plus you save on the jet lag, missed flights, lost luggage and so many other costs of travel. All of which are worth it, of course, but something you can do without by traveling from where you live.
The train ride seems like quite the adventure. We have quite a few trains in Germany where I live. However, the sheer majesty of the views you show would be hard to beat. The closest would be he Swiss Alps I guess.
You are dead on, Dietrich. The sights, sounds, smells and tastes are very different from the Swiss Alps.
Nice write-up! My husband and I have always wanted to go. This kind of article really helps us get a context around the trip. Always look forward to your blog posts. Had to wait unusually long for this one! 🙂
Great point. My experience has been that even with the group travel companies there are very few resources for providing context before a trip. Without that, one is left with what a less traveled person once told me was “a bunch of temples and statutes” (for describing Southeast Asia).
The best book to read is definitely “Turn Right at Machu Picchu” – humorous and factual. Don’t bother with Bingham’s book – what a pompous dilettante! Only good thing in that book were the “before” and “after” pics of M.P. being covered by the jungle (MP is in the Amazon jungle) and after being cleared.
Agree that Bingham sometimes comes across as pompous. However, if you read the April 1913 National Geographic cover story by Bingham he comes across as anything but a dilettante.
I’m now reading “Turn right at Machu Picchu….” which I highly recommend. It is part travelogue and part historical recounting of Bingham’s “discovery” of Machu Picchu. Reading it after the visit helps me with the visuals. My next visit will be more focused.
My experience has been that I get more out of the trip if I read books like this before the trip. However, reading it after is a great way to impress the details into your memory.
We are traveling to Peru in a few days. Your blog really helped us gain familiarty with the region, and your photos are gorgeous! Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.
Yes, pictures are truly worth a thousand words, aren’t they?
We were in Peru from June 8 to June 22 and unfortunately I took no notes!!! Really enjoyed your well-written blog and your pictures.
FYI, I recommend going to Iquitos in the jungle and really enjoyed it. If you go, you need a naturalist because it is so easy to miss much flora and fauna. We stayed at the Ceiba Tops Eco-Lodge. Worth it. Visited the canopy walk – especially need a guide of your own here – we basically saw beautiful scenery but two on our trip monopolized the guide and saw so many critters!!! Visits with river people are so eye-opening. People with so little “stuff” but who are so happy. Anyway, thanks for your blog.
Yes you’ll find that in many parts of the world. Especially in Asia. Most people get along without so much “stuff.” Makes one wonder whether how much more we really need. If you are interested in the subject check out the Tiny-House Movement. Essentially it is about downsizing, simplifying and living according to the motto that less is more.
I’m taking my 3 daughters to Cusco in May. I want to incorporate a “service learning” project. In short, this would be a way for us to give back to the community while we visit. Is there something that we could bring with us from the states that the people in Cusco need? When we went to Africa we brought a suit case full of socks as the locals were desperate for good socks. Can you think of something that would benefit the people of Cusco? or even a place that we could go to volunteer our time (an afternoon or morning)?
Thanks for any details you might be able to provide.
Peru is a relatively wealthy country (USD $6,000/capita GDP) relative to Africa (Sub-Saharan GDP per capita of USD $1600). Therefore basic items will be less useful in the city of Cusco itself. Instead, consider funding a small business owner through Kiva.org; then visit them when you are in Cusco. Will be much more rewarding – for the both of you. However, outside the city is a different story. In the outskirts of the city are Inca villages. If you take school supplies for the local school house it will be greatly appreciated. That was my experience.
Love the pictures! Have to convince my girlfriend to go.
Appreciate the feedback! Tap into your girlfriend’s sense of adventure and it should be an easy sell.
Been there with a friend over 40 years ago. It was everything in this article that was said about it. I would definately urge people to go if you have one ounce of adventure in your blood. You won’t be disappointed.
Like your phrasing. “…one ounce of adventure in your blood.” That’s exactly the ingredient necessary for adventure and exotic travel.
Thank you, it comes very handy as I’m planning to go to Peru in August, so trying to find out as much as possible about what to do. Love your photos btw. As fellow travel photography enthusiast and new blogger, I appreciate when great, useful articles are accompanied by even better photos.
For this post all the pictures were taken by me. In all of my posts I include my own pictures but for the other posts I sometimes include stock photos. Thanks for the compliments.
These pictures are incredible – what sort of camera did you use for these?? Would love to know!
I use a Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Also, a number of lenses: 28-105MM; 16-28MM; 80-300MM. Thanks for the compliments on the photos!
Hi, I just wanted to thank you for this post. We didn’t have as much time in Peru so we had to shorten the itinerary a bit. We visited Puerto Maldonado instead of Iquitos just to experience some of the Amazon and loved every minute of it! I hadn’t realised that we could visit the Amazon from Peru and always assumed it was best seen in Brazil ? so thank you again and keep up the amazing work, I really enjoy following your travels
I was surprised too that one can visit the Amazon from Peru. Not a commonly known fact.
To be honest I didn;t read the post but only skimmed the subheadings and looked at the pictures. This, however, taught me more about MP than I’d ever known – and it took me 5 minutes (just in time to feed my new born!).
That works!
Never knew the historical context of Machu Picchu. Never heard about it in the context of the “story.” My family went on one of these group tours. But they didn’t explain Machu Picchu in the context of the Incan civilization. In fact I barely learned anything about the Incas by the end of the trip. This should be mandatory reading for those tours!
Thank you Dr. Blake. Much appreciated. Yes I agree that some of the group tours don’t give much of a pre-trip prep providing a perspective on what they see.
In my opinion, it’s good time to travel to Cuzco since end of June (like I did) until November. On December until April rain a lot so it’s no recommended.
Good point. It’s more of a challenge to see MP during the rain season. Glad you mentioned the months to visit accordingly.
The key to Machu Picchu is a good guide. On our 3-week journey through Peru we were led by a brilliant guide. Oda Seedhouse is an anthropologist and linguist who speaks fluent Spanish and Quechua. Oda and her husband Armando, a wonderful artist, own a guesthouse, Andean Spirit Lodge (formerly known as Yoga Limatambo Guesthouse). This was my trip of a lifetime which I wouldn’t have missed for the world!
Yes, indeed. A good guide adds a lot of value. For me, since I take time in composing my photographs, a private guide really makes sense because I fall behind when there is a group guide.
Incans were a small tribe engaged in constant warfare with other tribes of the region. It was during this time came ‘Pachacuti’ who was believed to be ‘Son of Sun’. He improved upon the Incans’ the knowledge and methods of agriculture and stone masonry. Incas flourished under Pachacuti’s rule. Instead of using military rule Pachacuti sent food and treasures to neighboring communities which eventually accepted the Inca’s way of living, expanding the empire.
Very insightful, Salvador. I too was struck by how the Inca kept their empire together by adding value to the conquered so it made sense for them to stay in the empire – roads, food, treasures…as you point out.
Since you like the historical angle, here are a few interesting facts for you!
The Spanish conquistadors couldn’t destroy machu picchu:
The Spaniards couldn’t find the way to Machu Picchu which is why it was left alone
1000-1200 people lived in machu picchu:
Machu Picchu was built as a winter resort to the emperor. But it was also home for 1000-1200 people who lived there
Every Incan empire’s road ended at Machu Picchu:
The investigation by national institute of culture revealed that every Incan road was connected to Machu Picchu.
These roads extended to neighbouring mountains connecting machu picchu to the resources of the Amazon and the capital city Cusco.
Very interesting facts Prafful. Thanks for sharing.
Many people are underwhelmed by the sophistication of the Machu Picchu structure. However, what I like about your article is that you mention some of the advanced features of the civilization of the Incas (although there is an academic debate about whether it was a civilization or just a giant tribe). One of these advanced technologies was the road system – as you point out – which held the empire together. The Incan “trails” were a big part of these road systems.
The Inca Trail to Machu Picchu is part of an extensive Inca system of trails of more than 23,000 kilometres that integrated the Inca Empire of Tahuantinsuyo (“ four regions” in Quechua) that covered big part of Latin America: from Colombia, the west of Brazil, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia, to the centre of Chile and the north of Argentina. These “Inca trails” were mainly on the coast or in the mountains, but sometimes even reached the tropical edge of the jungle.
The total network of Inca Trails, without a doubt one of the marvels of the Inca empire, is called Qhapaq Ñan. The UNESCO granted the World Heritage Status to this network in 2014, describing the system as “an engineering wonder that must be restored and preserved.”
Didn’t know that UNESCO sited the trail network as an engineering wonder. Thanks for sharing your knowledge.
Love the site and look forward to your newer blogs. I’m 72 and have been to Machu Picchu throughout my life. Since your blog posts evince curiosity assume both you and your readers value perspective. Let me give you some by telling you how this place has changed over the many years of my existence on earth. Here are the key changes I’ve seen.
It is pretty interesting to think that the ruins people saw 30 years ago are almost exactly the same ruins you can see today. I can only think of three things that have changed since my childhood:
1. The city is being constantly damaged by earthquakes and soil erosion
Over the several times I’ve been to Machu Picchu I’ve seen many walls breaking apart. They do that very slowly, as small tremors move the land beneath the city. The amount of people walking on the ruins is also a threat. Many studies are being made to establish the number of people that should be allowed into the ruins everyday in order to preserve it. But the number of tickets available has been considerably lowered in the past years.
2. Rules for tourists have become more strict
On the first time I visited Machu Picchu, it was more like a public space. I saw a lot of people sleeping, reading and having picnics in the main square of the ruins. You were able to touch the most important parks and artifacts there. I have to admit that I even took a picture of my friend sitting on the Intihuatana, one of the most important idols there (we were kids and nobody told us we couldn’t. Please don’t blame us.). I can’t imagine those things happening nowadays in Machu Picchu, as it is an sacred place for Peruvians and almost for everyone. I don’t understand what the government was thinking about a few decades ago.
3. The city below Machu Picchu has become a mess
Machu Picchu used to be located in the tiny – peaceful town of Aguas Calientes, with basic electricity and water services. It was the perfect place for tourists that want to spend a night near nature, and see the sunrise in the ruins. As the number of tourists visiting the city increased, more people decided to move to Aguas Calientes to do some money. With very little space to grow, Aguas Calientes is now an bohemian, informal, overcrowded town where nature has been changed for Internet cafés and discos. Most businesses charge taxes to tourists but very few of them actually pay these taxes to the government. A very large part of the people who sell “typical” stuff to tourists are Argentinians, Chileans and Americans. I’ve got nothing against foreigners doing business here. But arriving to Peru’s main landmark to be attended by foreigners is not what many people expect.
Thanks for your perspective Francis. I’ve always wondered how the site has changed since its rediscovery. Appreciate your comments.
Machu Picchu is an absolutely stunning historical site in an unmatched physical location. You can’t turn your head without seeing something jaw-dropping.
For me, the being there at sunrise was not really a thing – but I live on the edge of the prairie and see sunrises almost every day that would knock your socks off, so seeing the sun come up over a mountain didn’t mean as much to me. The way it works is you get up way too early, climb onto one of a series of buses in the dark and go up a terrifying switchback road, and push your way through the crowd to see the sunrise. It’s the only place I’ve ever gone where being there early isn’t an asset.
Second, there are a lot of people. But it’s a big site, and once you’re through the gates I never felt crowded.
There is the option of the three day walk through the mountains, arriving at daybreak. I can’t speak to that, because I have some physical limitations that preclude that sort of trip, plus I would have been terrified of falling about half the time. I’m confident that is a different experience than just getting on a bus and riding to the top.
Overrated? I believe there is a trend that anything a bunch of people want to see makes it by definition not worth seeing. Not so long ago I saw a travel article about visiting Florence and it suggested skipping The David. That sort of thing is just stupid – if people have been entranced by something for hundreds of years, there is probably a reason. The only problem with going to a popular tourist site is that it’s a little harder to make a real human connection with the people there – more often than not a tourist is just seen as a dollar bill dispenser and you need to fight past that.
Go to Machu Picchu. I can’t imagine regretting it.
Interesting perspective. Thanks for sharing.
I’ve been to Machu Picchu twice. Once as a college student and many years later with my daughter. It was an incredible experience in college and even more so with my daughter. We have a picture in our minds which we will share forever. Still remember the awe I felt looking at these structures built so high up, the green land, bright blue sky, brilliant white clouds contrasting with the grey stones, and the llamas cropping the grass.
That’s the great part of travel isn’t it Jane? It creates memories of a life time.
What I love about your post is that you mention the advancements of Incan civilization and put Machu Picchu in that context. I find a lot of white condescension in visitors who say effectively “how cute, they did so much without the wheel.” Our guide, at the travel company I went with, never told us anything of what they could do but rather what they couldn’t do. Thanks for that balanced view. Now go do some posts of African countries with the same context.
dude, you roc! the hike sounds totally chill. will have to try it with some mates and a lot of local beer. cheers
That street mural is splendid. It actually captures the Spanish conquest from the conquored’s point of view. For example, it does not hide the barbarity of conquistadores using heavy armament against natives carrying axes. Brilliant job. Do a post on Stonehenge in my country.
I loved the trail. It is a must see. During your hike on the Inca Trail you will be rewarded with breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains and the Urubamba river, which meanders through the valley in the distance. You will hike past waterfalls, through dense rainforest and pass impressive Inca ruins.
What a wonderful and informative blog about a place which intrigues me so much since I came to know about it. To think that it remained hidden from the Spanish in spite of the Spanish rule was a revelation. I shudder to think what would have happened if the Spanish found it !! Maybe this beautiful and mysterious place would have got lost.
The agricultural advancement which they showed due to the global arming they were facing makes me wonder whether they were the first to come with the idea of terrace farming in the American continents.
How llamas became an integral part of their life and continues to do so was fascinating.
I am trying to imagine how Hiram Bingham felt when he first set his eyes on this civilization and how thankful we should be to him for letting the World know about this wonderful place and civilization.
Thank you Partho for this wonderful write-up and fascinating pictures (the mummification picture was “spine-chilling” I must say). Got to know a lot.
Ditto! I didn’t know MP was never discovered by the Spanish. Talk about keeping a secret!
As is pointed out, Bingham only rediscovered it. Not a big deal. The locals already knew about it. What Bingham did was open up the place to massive tourists who deplete the rocks and add to the litter.
Ur such a jerk. That’s not what she meant. Are you forgetting the millions of dollars that his rediscovery allowed, for restoration and further digging? You must be an American. No one else would have said such a stupid thing.
Thank you for your comments. It is always great to find out what items in a post stick out to other people. Our readers look forward to your detailed and intelligent commentaries.
I’ve been to Machu Picchu a number of times. However, I never know the Aymara speakers around Lake Titicaca were ethnically different from the Inca. The way you described the Inca going outwards really crystalized for me the relationship between the Inca and the different tribes. Also, I never knew the Incan Empire was such a cosmopolitan place with different languages and ethnic groups. Thank you for educating us about this!
Bravo! Like the way you connect the dots. For example, the way you pointed out that going up the mountain (through the technology of terrace farming) allowed for more productive soil, which created a surplus which freed up resources for a standing army (less people necessary to farm). I teach a class in which I try to bring out these relationships but unfortunately history texts rarely go into the analytics vs. merely being descriptive.
When I was going through my grandfather’s attic I found the April 1913 National Geographic edition which featured Hiram Bigham on the cover. The fact that you mentioned it brings back a lot of memories for me. He must have read it before he went to the Great War. Wonder if he ever lightened his burden in the trenches by thinking back to the adventure Bigham must have had searching for MP.
Didn’t know that the Maya were the longest of the original civilizations of the Americas. You did a great job of creating context between the different groupings: Mayans=longest, Inca=largest. My family and I love going to see the Mayan ruins in Belize. Now that I know they are the longest surviving native groupings, I’ll have a better appreciation of Mayan ruins,
This is great info. I didn’t know about the train. Had thought there surely must be an airport at the bottom of Machu Picchu! Silly me.
Went with my daughter for her sixteenth birthday. One of the best memories. She is now in her twenties, married with child. Some things last forever. Thanks for taking me down memory lane. You have a particular style of writing which is very unique.
Congratulations, wonderful message
This article offers a fascinating perspective on the subject. The depth of research and clarity in presentation make it a valuable read for anyone interested in this topic. It’s refreshing to see such well-articulated insights that not only inform but also provoke thoughtful discussion. I particularly appreciated the way the author connected various aspects to provide a comprehensive understanding. It’s clear that a lot of effort went into compiling this piece, and it certainly pays off. Looking forward to reading more from this author and hearing other readers’ thoughts. Keep up the excellent work!
There is something in this. I will know, thanks a lot for the explanation.